Hamit Kaplan
Encyclopedia
Hamit Kaplan (September 20, 1934, Hamamözü
- January 5, 1976, Çorum
), was a renowned Circassian World and Olympic champion sports wrestler in the Heavyweight class who was born in Turkey. He won the gold, silver and bronze medal in Men's Freestyle
Wrestling at three consecutive Olympic Games in 1956
, 1960
and 1964
.
Born in Hamamözü
town in Amasya Province
, he began wrestling as a youngster in the traditional Turkish sport Yağlı güreş
(oil wrestling). Soon, he switched over to sports wrestling and became juniors champion in the Heavyweight class. Hamit Kaplan was admitted to the national team in 1954 and was trained by the renowned wrestler Celal Atik
for his
skill. Already at his age of 22, he represented Turkey at the World Championships held in Karlsruhe
, Germany
and ranked 3rd in the Greco-Roman style.
Besides three Olympic medals, he won many more titles at international competitions both in freestyle and Greco-Roman category. Hamit Kaplan, weighing 100 kg at his 1.90 m height, was a defensive wrestler, who finished much of his matches in draw.
Hamit Kaplan resigned after the 1964 Olympics, because he was no more match for his strong opponents like Hungarian István Kozma
, Soviet Russians Alexander Iwanizki and Alexander Medwed. He was 175 times international for his country.
He died on January 5, 1976 at the age of only 41 following a traffic accident in Çorum
. He was laid to rest in his hometown Hamamözü. A sports hall with 1,000 seats in Amasya and another small one in Hamamözü are named after him.
Hamamözü
Hamamözü is a town and district of Amasya Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It covers an area of 202 km², and the population is 4,508 of which 1,411 live in the town of Hamamözü, the majority spread throughout the surrounding countryside. The population has shrunk 13% since 1990. It has...
- January 5, 1976, Çorum
Çorum
Çorum is a landlocked northern Anatolian city that is the capital of the Çorum Province of Turkey. Çorum is located inland in the central Black Sea Region of Turkey, and is approximately from Ankara and from Istanbul...
), was a renowned Circassian World and Olympic champion sports wrestler in the Heavyweight class who was born in Turkey. He won the gold, silver and bronze medal in Men's Freestyle
Freestyle wrestling
Freestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practised throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history...
Wrestling at three consecutive Olympic Games in 1956
Turkey at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Turkey competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia and Stockholm, Sweden .-Medalists:...
, 1960
Turkey at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Turkey competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy.-Medalists:...
and 1964
Turkey at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Turkey competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.-Medalists:...
.
Born in Hamamözü
Hamamözü
Hamamözü is a town and district of Amasya Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It covers an area of 202 km², and the population is 4,508 of which 1,411 live in the town of Hamamözü, the majority spread throughout the surrounding countryside. The population has shrunk 13% since 1990. It has...
town in Amasya Province
Amasya Province
Amasya Province is a province of Turkey, situated on the Yeşil River in the Black Sea Region to the north of the country. Area 5,520 km². Population 334,786....
, he began wrestling as a youngster in the traditional Turkish sport Yağlı güreş
Yagli güres
Oil wrestling , also called grease wrestling, is the Turkish national sport. It is so called because the wrestlers douse themselves with olive oil. It is related to the Uzbeki kurash, Tuvan khuresh and Tatar köräş...
(oil wrestling). Soon, he switched over to sports wrestling and became juniors champion in the Heavyweight class. Hamit Kaplan was admitted to the national team in 1954 and was trained by the renowned wrestler Celal Atik
Celal Atik
Celal Atik was a successful Turkish sports wrestler and trainer, who won the gold medal in the Lightweight class of Men's Freestyle Wrestling at the 1948 Olympics....
for his
skill. Already at his age of 22, he represented Turkey at the World Championships held in Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and ranked 3rd in the Greco-Roman style.
Besides three Olympic medals, he won many more titles at international competitions both in freestyle and Greco-Roman category. Hamit Kaplan, weighing 100 kg at his 1.90 m height, was a defensive wrestler, who finished much of his matches in draw.
Hamit Kaplan resigned after the 1964 Olympics, because he was no more match for his strong opponents like Hungarian István Kozma
István Kozma (wrestler)
István Kozma is a Hungarian wrestler, Olympic champion and world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Olympics:...
, Soviet Russians Alexander Iwanizki and Alexander Medwed. He was 175 times international for his country.
He died on January 5, 1976 at the age of only 41 following a traffic accident in Çorum
Çorum
Çorum is a landlocked northern Anatolian city that is the capital of the Çorum Province of Turkey. Çorum is located inland in the central Black Sea Region of Turkey, and is approximately from Ankara and from Istanbul...
. He was laid to rest in his hometown Hamamözü. A sports hall with 1,000 seats in Amasya and another small one in Hamamözü are named after him.
Achievements
- 1955 Mediterranean Games1955 Mediterranean GamesThe second Mediterranean Games were held in the Olympic Stadium and Palace of sport of Barcelona, from July 16 to 25, 1955. The stadium was built in 1929 and was especially renovated for the occasion. The symbol of an amphora filled with Mediterranean Sea water was then used for the first time.The...
in BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- gold (Greco-Roman Heavyweight) - 1955 World Wrestling Championships in KarlsruheKarlsruheThe City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- bronze (Greco-Roman Heavyweight) - 1956 World Cup in IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey - silver (Freestyle Heavyweight), gold (Greco-Roman Heavyweight) - 1956 Summer Olympics1956 Summer OlympicsThe 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- gold (Freestyle Heavyweight), 4th (Greco-Roman Heavyweight) - 1957 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey - gold (Freestyle Heavyweight)
- 1958 World Cup in SofiaSofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
- bronze (Freestyle Heavyweight) - 1958 World Championships in BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
- bronze (Greco-Roman Heavyweight) - 1959 Mediterranean Games1959 Mediterranean GamesAfter visiting Africa and Europe, the Mediterranean Games were for the first time held in Asia in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, thus completing the trio of continents belonging to the Mediterranean Sea...
in BeirutBeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
- gold (Freestyle Heavyweight) - 1959 World Championships in TehranTehranTehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
- silver (Freestyle Heavyweight) - 1960 Balkan Championships in BurgasBurgas-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...
, BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
- silver (Freestyle Heavyweight) - 1960 Summer Olympics1960 Summer OlympicsThe 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- silver (Freestyle Heavyweight) - 1961 World Championships in YokohamaYokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- silver (Freestyle Heavyweight), silver (Greco-Roman Heavyweight) - 1962 World Championships in Toledo, OhioToledo, OhioToledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, USA - 4th (Freestyle Heavyweight), 4th (Greco-Roman Heavyweight) - 1963 Mediterranean Games1963 Mediterranean GamesThe fourth edition of the Mediterranean Games were held in Naples, Italy from September 21 to September 29, 1963. Thirteen nations competed in 18 sports.-Medal table:-References:* **...
in NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- gold (Freestyle Heavyweight) - 1963 World Championships in SofiaSofiaSofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
- bronze (Freestyle Heavyweight) - 1963 World Championships in HelsingborgHelsingborgHelsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
, DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
- bronze (Greco-Roman Heavyweight) - 1964 Summer Olympics1964 Summer OlympicsThe 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
in TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- bronze (Freestyle Heavyweight), 10th (Greco-Roman Heavyweight) - 1965 Balkan Championships in YambolYambolYambol is a city in southeastern Bulgaria, an administrative centre of Yambol Province. It lies on both banks of the Tundzha river in the historical region of Thrace. As of February 2011, the town has a population of 72,843 inhabitants. It is occasionally spelt 'Jambol'.The administrative centres...
, BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
- silver (Greco-Roman Heavyweight)