Naim Süleymanolu was an Olympic weightlifter from Turkey. He was a seven-time World Weightlifting Champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist, with many world records to his credit. Although he is also widely regarded as the greatest Olympic weightlifter of all time, pound for pound. He is also regarded as one of the greatest Olympic weightlifters of all time.
Quick Facts of Naim Süleymanoğlu
| Full Name | Naim Süleymanoğlu |
| Nickname | Not Known |
| Birthdate | January 23, 1967 |
| Death Date | November 18, 2017 |
| Death place | Istanbul, Turkey |
| Birthplace | Pitcher, Kardzhali Province, Bulgaria |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Body | Bodybuilder |
| Years Active | 1982-2000 |
| Retired | 2000 |
| Father | Not Known |
| Mother | Not Known |
| Siblings | Not Known |
| Eye color | Black |
| Hair Colour | Brown |
| Profession | Weightlifting |
| Olympics Participation | 1998 1992 1996 |
| Alternative Profession | Not Known |
| Height< | 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m) |
| Weight | 62 kg (137 lb) |
| Events | 56 kg (1983), 60 kg (1985–1992), 64 kg (1993–1996), 62 kg (2000) |
| Representation | Bulgaria Turkey |
| Relationship | Un-Married |
| Rumored with | Kyoto Mori |
| No. of children | 3 |
| Net worth | $1 million – $5 million |
| Social Media | Not Available |
What is the Net worth of Naim Süleymanoglu?
Naim Süleymanoğlu the weightlifter has amassed a sizable fortune throughout the course of his career.
The net worth of Naim Süleymanoğlu has between $1 million and $5 million since the beginning of his career. As a result, he is one of the wealthiest athletes. As a result, his estimated net worth is in excess of $5 million.
Therefore, he gets a salary of more than a million dollars per year. Aside from that, the athlete profited handsomely from his sponsorship relationships.
As a result, the player is regularly endorsed by well-known brands and businesses.
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Early age of Naim Süleymanolu
Süleymanolu was born and raised in Ptichar, Kardzhali Province, Bulgaria, to an ethnic Turkish family (Bulgarian: аим леманoв, romanized: Naim Syulemanov).
The weightlifter’s father was a mineworker who stood barely five feet tall, and his mother was four feet seven inches tall.
In his adolescence, Naim won numerous competitions. During the 1984 Summer Olympics, he was the overwhelming favorite to win gold. Furthermore, Bulgaria had not joined the Eastern Bloc’s embargo.
The Bulgarian government conducted a Revival Process initiative in the 1980s. As a result, ethnic minorities were forced to acquire Slavic names and their languages were prohibited.
Süleymanolu was forced to change his name to Naum Shalamanov (Bulgarian: аум аламанов) in 1985 as a result of this. After these events, he decided to leave Bulgaria and maintained an encrypted connection with the Turkish Squad during that time.
Personality Traits of Naim Süleymanolu
Suleymanoglu was noted for his dramatic ability as well as his cerebral strategy in competitive situations.
Suleymanglou sat calmly offstage, passing up his opportunity to lift, agreeing to an author for the Searrle Post-Intelligencer. Competitors, on the other hand, attempted to defeat them by raising massive quantities of weight.
When they were fatigued, Suleymanoglu would go out on stage, ask for extra weight to be added to the bar, and then simply lift it, defeating everyone.
Suleymanoglu resigned from the tournament after earning his third gold award in Atlanta, and he basked in his fame and fortune for a long time.
He appeared in Turkish daily newspapers as much as possible, with absurd accounts about his crazy lifestyle.
Regardless, he chose to make a comeback in 1999 and compete in the 2000 Olympic Recreations.
So he spent a year preparing for a fair, sometime after the Diversions, in the hopes of winning an exceptional fourth gold award.
Career of Naim Süleymanoğlu
Early Career of Naim Süleymanoğlu
The Bulgarian authorities had to agree to transfer his qualification to Turkey in order for him to compete in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Furthermore, the Turks compensated Bulgaria $1.25 million for his release. Stefan Topurov, an old teammate from the Bulgarian group, was his main opponent at the Olympics.
After all of the other competitors had completed and made three consecutive lifts, he came out for the grab part of the competition, setting world records in both of his final two tries.
After Süleymanolu, Topurov finished second in the clean and jerk event with a 175.0 kg clean and jerk. Süleymanolu went on to set two more world records and win his first Olympic gold with his subsequent two lifts.
His final charge was a 190.0 kg clean and jerk, which was 3.15 times his body weight, the highest ratio of pure and pull to body weight of all time periods.
The weightlifter’s performance at the 1988 Seoul Olympics was the most overwhelming weightlifting performance of all time, according to the Sinclair coefficient.
Olympic Career of Naim Süleymanoğlu
Naim’s total was high enough to put him ahead of him in the weight class. After winning the world championship at the age of 22, the weightlifter retired in 1989 at the age of 22.
Naim, on the other hand, returned to the sport in 1991, winning a second Olympic gold medal in Barcelona in 1992 and a third in Atlanta in 1996.
In 2000, Naim Süleymanolu competed in his final lifting competition at the Summer Olympics in Sydney.
The 1996 Olympic Games were to be his final appearance, and he resigned after winning his third consecutive Olympic gold medal in Atlanta.
The encounter between him and Greek Valerios Leonidis in that competition was famous, with the field divided into partisan Turkish and Greek crowds.
They were the final competitors left after exchanging three consecutive world-record lifts; Süleymanolu was in charge of raising 187.5 kg.
After that, Leonidis’ effort to lift 190 kilos failed, earning him the silver medal.
ANNOUNCER LYNN JONES ONCE PROCLAIMED, “YOU HAVE JUST WITNESSED THE GREATEST WEIGHTLIFTING COMPETITION IN THE ENTIRE ERA,” REFERRING TO KEN JONES IN THE LONDON INDEPENDENT.
Süleymanolu attempted another comeback at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, this time in a late attempt to capture a fourth gold medal.
It would have been an Olympic record if it had been achieved. Süleymanolu, however, was eliminated from the tournament after three shots at 145 kg.
Hall of Fame / Naim Süleymanoğlu
In 2001, the weightlifter was also given the Olympic Order. In 2000 and 2004, he was inducted into the World Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame.
He ran as a free candidate in the general elections of 1999. In addition, he represented Bursa at Turkey’s Grand National Gathering.
Naim ran for mayor of Kraç municipality in the Büyükçekmece district of Istanbul Province in 2002 as a candidate of the Patriot Development Party.
In general decisions in 2006, he represented the same party. He was, unfortunately, unsuccessful in all of his attempts.
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Olympic Gold Medal of Naim Süleymanoğlu
Naim Süleymanoğlu competed for the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.
Valerios Leonidas, a Greek lifter, was the first to compete. As a result, they had a very close duel, with each setting a world record after the other.
In addition, Suleymanoglu set a world record of 185 kg, which Leonidas surpassed with 187.5 kg.
Suleymanoglu was now in charge of coordinating Leonidas’ lift for the gold. He did it, tying Leonidas’ world record just minutes after it had been set.
According to Insight Jones of the London Free, commentator Lynn Jones declared, “You’ve seen the most notable weightlifting competition in history.”
With this gold medal, Suleymanoglu became the only weightlifter in history to win gold in three different Olympics.
Achievements of Naim Süleymanolu
- 1967: Born in Bulgaria(Kigali)
- 1977: Went to a training school
- 1982: first world record by Naim
- 1984: He missed the Olympic Games because of his country’s boycott
- 1986: Defects from Bulgaria to Turkey
- 1988: Wins gold medal at Seoul Olympics
- 1990: Retires but soon returns to competition
- 1992: Wins gold medal at Barcelona Olympics
- 1996: Wins gold medal at Atlanta Olympics
- 2000: He competes in Sydney Olympics but fails in all his attempts to lift
- 2000: Retires from competition
Life & Relationships of Naim Süleymanoglu
Süleymanolu did not marry. Cirrhosis has caused liver failure in the great weightlifter. As a result, he was taken to a hospital in Istanbul. Then, at the age of 50, he died.
He does, however, have four children, all of whom are females. Naim is their father, despite the fact that the specifics of their birth and mothers are unknown.
Esin Süleymanolu, Sezin Süleymanolu, Nilay Süleymanolu, and Sekai Mori are his daughters. Despite the fact that Sekai Mori was not regarded one of his offspring until 2018, DNA tests revealed that she is the late champion’s daughter.
Because of his diminutive size, the athlete was dubbed “Pocket Hercules.” Finally, he became a global celebrity after setting six world records and winning three Olympic gold medals.
Not only that, but at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, he achieved notoriety by lifting the renowned victor of the weight class above him.
After winning the world title in 1988, he retired at the age of 22.
Death & Aftermath Controversy of Naim Süleymanoglu
He did, however, have liver cirrhosis for a long time. Finally, in 2009, he spent around three months in the clinic.
When a liver donor was located, he underwent liver transplantation on October 6. After that, he had surgery on November 11 due to bleeding in the brain and consequent edema.
As a result, he died on November 18, 2017. He was laid to rest in Istanbul’s Edirnekap Martyrs Cemetery.
Cep Herkülü: Naim Süleymanolu, a film about his life and career, was released after his death. Finally, on November 22, 2019, the film was released in Turkey.
After his death, a Japanese lady claimed she had a girl named Sekai Mori with him. She then went to a Turkish court to file a paternity complaint.
As a result, on July 4, 2018, Süleymanolu’s grave was opened in order to collect a DNA sample. A DNA test confirmed her allegation as well. In addition, he had three daughters with a Turkish woman.
frequently asked Questions (FAQs)
What happened to Naim Süleymanolu?
Süleymanolu, a Bulgarian-born “pocket Hercules,” died in November 2018, a month after undergoing liver transplant surgery. Cirrhosis had been plaguing the 50-year-old for a long time.
Who is Pocket Hercules, and what is his name?
Naim Suleymanoglu, a Turkish weight lifter who acquired the nickname Pocket Hercules for his small stature and startling ability while winning three consecutive Olympic gold medals, died on Saturday in Istanbul.
