Necmi Gençalp

1.1. Childhood and Wrestling Debut

Gençalp was born in Yozgat, a city in central Turkey. He began his wrestling journey in 1975, influenced by his cousin, Ömer Suzan, who encouraged him to take up the sport. This early start laid the foundation for his future success in the wrestling world.

1.2. Early Career and National Team Selection

Gençalp quickly demonstrated his talent in wrestling. In 1978, he achieved significant success by winning both the Turkish Junior Championships and the Turkish Senior Championships, marking him as a promising athlete. His impressive performances led to his selection for the Turkish national team the following year, in 1979.

2.1. Early International Competitions (Pre-1988)

Gençalp made his international debut in May 1979 at the Balkan Games held in Yambol, Bulgaria. Competing in the freestyle welterweight (163 lb ^{(74 kg)}) category, he secured a silver medal, finishing behind Valentin Raychev of Bulgaria. In August 1980, he participated in the European Junior Wrestling Championships in Bursa, Turkey, where he competed in the Greco-Roman welterweight category and finished in fourth place, behind Stoyan Vasiliev of Bulgaria.

In April 1981, Gençalp competed in the European Wrestling Championships in Łódź, Poland, where he placed seventh in the freestyle middleweight division. He continued to compete on the international stage, participating in the 1982 World Wrestling Championships in Edmonton, Canada, in August 1982, where he finished 12th.

2.2. Return to National Team and Key Competitions (1985-1987)

Following a period of absence due to injury, Necmi Gençalp rejoined the Turkish national team in 1985. In May of that year, he competed in the 1985 European Wrestling Championships in Leipzig, East Germany, where he finished 10th.

His return to form became more evident in 1987. In March, he earned a silver medal at the Yaşar Doğu Memorial tournament in Istanbul, finishing second to Mehmet Türkaya. Later that month, he secured a bronze medal at the 1987 German Grand Prix in Aschaffenburg, West Germany, placing behind Yuri Vorobyev of the Soviet Union and Jiří Lohyňa of Czechoslovakia.

In May 1987, Gençalp competed in the 1987 European Wrestling Championships in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, where he achieved a fifth-place finish. He then participated in the 1987 World Wrestling Championships in Clermont-Ferrand, France, in August, finishing sixth. A significant achievement came in September 1987, when he won a gold medal at the 1987 Mediterranean Games in Latakia, Syria, defeating Muhammad Akrad of Syria in the final.

2.3. 1988 Seoul Olympics Silver Medal

In March 1988, Gençalp continued his strong performance by finishing as runner-up at the Yaşar Doğu Memorial tournament in Istanbul, behind Aleksandr Sapko of the Soviet Union. This prepared him for the pinnacle of his career: the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Necmi Gençalp competed in the freestyle middleweight (181 lb ^{(82 kg)}) event. In the preliminary Group B, he displayed exceptional skill, defeating all opponents except Hans Gstöttner of East Germany, securing first place in his group. A particularly notable victory was his 14-0 technical superiority win over Mark Schultz of the United States, who was the reigning 1984 Olympic champion. In the final match, Gençalp faced Han Myung-woo of South Korea, who had won preliminary Group A. Gençalp was defeated 3-0, earning him the silver medal, a significant achievement for Turkish wrestling.

2.4. Later Career (1989-1990)

Following his Olympic success, Gençalp continued to compete at a high level. In May 1989, he participated in the 1989 European Wrestling Championships in Ankara, Turkey. He reached the final, where he faced Jiří Lohyňa of Czechoslovakia, the 1988 Seoul Olympics bronze medalist. However, both wrestlers were disqualified for passive play, resulting in them jointly receiving silver medals, with no gold medalist for the event.

In September 1989, Gençalp competed in the 1989 World Wrestling Championships in Martigny, Switzerland. He finished in fourth place, behind Elmadi Zhabrailov of the Soviet Union, Melvin Douglas of the United States, and Alcide Legrand of France. His final notable international achievement came in March 1990, when he won a silver medal at the FILA Wrestling World Cup in Toledo, United States, finishing behind Yuri Vorobyev of the Soviet Union.