Turkish Wrestler Wins Record 13th European Gold at Age 36

A father's promise to his five-year-old daughter just rewrote wrestling history.

Turkish wrestler Riza Kayaalp claimed his 13th European Championship gold medal in Tirana, Albania, becoming the first athlete ever to break a record held by Russian legend Aleksandr Karelin. The 36-year-old heavyweight defeated Hungary's Darius Attila Vitek 7-1 in the Greco-Roman 130 kg final.

The victory came after a painful period when Kayaalp nearly gave up on wrestling entirely. During those dark months, his daughter would pray every night before bed that her father would wrestle again and win medals for their country.

"I would hear her, and it moved me incredibly," Kayaalp told journalists after the match. "I made a silent promise to her. All fathers do everything for their children."

He described returning to training "like a lion" to honor that promise. Now he's reached heights that seemed unreachable, surpassing Karelin, widely considered one of the greatest wrestlers in history who went undefeated internationally for 13 years.

The Ripple Effect

Kayaalp's achievement resonates far beyond the wrestling mat. Turkish Wrestling Federation President Taha Akgul, watching nervously from the sidelines before joining Kayaalp on the podium, acknowledged the champion had endured undeserved hardships on his road to this moment.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called personally to congratulate the wrestler. Kayaalp reminded the president of their mutual pledge: "You promised us a facility, and we promised you a record. We kept our word."

The veteran wrestler, who also holds three Olympic medals (one silver, two bronze), now has his sights set on the one achievement still missing from his résumé. "The only thing missing is an Olympic gold medal," Akgul said. "God willing, he will get that too."

For now, a father has kept his promise to his daughter, and in doing so, made sports history that will inspire wrestlers for generations to come.