Turkish swimmer (born 2007)
Kuzey Tunçelli (born 30 August 2007) is a Turkish swimmer who specialises in the 800m and 1500m freestyle swimming events. In 2024, he became both the Junior European and European champion in the 1500m freestyle and he holds the World Junior Record in the event with a time of 14:41.89.[2] He is qualified for participation at the Paris 2024 Olympics in Paris, France. He is the first swimmer in Turkey's Olympic history to swim in a final at the Olympics, finishing 5th and breaking his own previously held World Junior Record with a time of 14:41.22 at the Paris 2024 Olympics.[3]
Sport career
2023
Tunçelli became the first swimmer 15 years or younger with a time under 15 minutes for the 1500m freestyle event in April 2023 at the Turkish National Team Trials held in Edirne.[4][5] At the same meet, he qualified to represent his country at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France after he achieved a time of 14:56:67 in the 1500 m freestyle.[6]
He won the gold medal in the 1500m freestyle swimming event at the 2023 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival in Maribor, Slovenia, and set a Festival record for boys with 14:54.16 on 25 July 2023. In September 2023 he participated in the 2023 World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships, where he won in the 800 m and 1500m freestyle event.[7]
2024
Tunçelli participated in the 2024 World Aquatics Championships where he reached the 1500 m freestyle final.[8]
In June 2024, he became the 1500 m freestyle European champion in Belgrade.[9]
In July 2024, he won the gold medal in both the 800m and 1500m freestyle at the Junior European Swimming Championships, setting a WJR in the 1500, as well as leading his team of Eren Kuru, Ahmet Burak Işık, and Tuncer Berk Ertürk to a bronze in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay.
Tunçelli is a member of Fenerbahçe Swimming.[10]
Personal life
Kuzey Tunçelli was born as the only child to Oylum, a university academic, and Melih Tunçelli, a bank manager, in Kocaeli, Turkey on 30 August 2007.[11]
References
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