Naim Süleymanoğlu | Quick Facts
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 |
Weightlifter Naim Süleymanolu represented Turkey at the Olympics. He won the World Weightlifting championship seven times, won three Olympic gold medals, and broke numerous world records.
He is also widely regarded as the greatest Olympic weightlifter of all time, pound for pound. One of the most well-known Olympic weightlifters ever is Naim.The first and only weightlifter to have snatched 2.5 times his body weight is Süleymanolu. The seven lifters were also able to clean and jerk their body weight three times.
Early Life of Naim Süleymanolu
Süleymanolu was born and raised in Ptichar, Kardzhali Province, Bulgaria, to a family of Turkish descent (Bulgarian: аим леманoв, romanized: Naim Syulemanov).
The weightlifter’s mother was four-foot-seven inches tall, while his miner father was only five feet tall.In his teen years, Naim won numerous championships. During the Summer Olympics in 1984, he was the clear favourite to win the gold medal. Furthermore, Bulgaria had not participated in the Eastern Bloc’s boycott.
The Revival Process initiative was conducted in Bulgaria in the 1980s. As a result, the programme prohibited speaking their languages and forced ethnic minorities to adopt Slavic names.
Süleymanolu was forced to change his name in 1985 to Naum Shalamanov (Bulgarian: аум аламанов) as a result. After these events, he made the decision to leave Bulgaria while maintaining an encrypted connection with the Turkish Squad.
What are Characteristics of Naim Süleymanolu?
Suleymanoglu was renowned for both his competitive mental approach and dramatic talent.
Suleymanglou frequently sat still offstage while agreeing to a writer for the Searle Post-Intelligencer, skipping his turn to lift. Competitors, on the other hand, tried to lift enormous quantities of weight to defeat them.
After that, when everyone was worn out, Suleymanoglu would stroll onto the platform, request that the bar be given extra weight, and then effortlessly lift it while defeating everyone.
Suleymanoglu quit from the competition after receiving his third gold medal in Atlanta and basked in his fame and wealth for a very long time.He appeared in Turkish daily newspapers as frequently as possible, where ludicrous tales about his crazy lifestyle were published.
Nevertheless, he made the decision to make a return and participate in the 2000 Olympic Games in 1999. He so spent nearly a year preparing for the fair, which took place recently at the Diversions, in the hopes of winning an unusual fourth gold medal.
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Professional life Naim Süleymanolu
Earlier Years
The Bulgarian authorities had to consent to transfer his qualification to Turkey for him to be eligible to compete in the Seoul Olympics in 1988.
Additionally, the Turks gave Bulgaria $1.25 million in exchange for his release. His main rival at the Olympics was Stefan Topurov, an old comrade from the Bulgarian squad.
After all other participants had finished and made three consecutive lifts, he entered the competition for the grab portion, and in his final two lifts, he broke world records.
After Süleymanolu, Topurov completed a 175.0 kg clean and jerk in the clean and jerk category. Süleymanolu won his first Olympic gold medal and two more world records with his next two lifts.
He finished with a clean and jerk of 190.0 kg, which was 3.15 times his body weight and the highest pure and pull to body weight ratio of all time.
The weightlifter’s performance at the 1988 Seoul Olympics was the most dominant weightlifting effort ever, according to the Sinclair coefficient.
Sports Career
Naim’s total was high enough to surpass his and win the weight class. After winning the world title in 1989 at the age of 22, the weightlifter announced his retirement.
Naim, however, made a comeback to sports in 1991 and went on to win a second Olympic gold medal in Barcelona in 1992 as well as a third in Atlanta in 1996.Naim Süleymanolu performed his last lifting at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
He resigned after winning a third consecutive Olympic gold medal in Atlanta at the 1996 Olympic Games since those events were to be his last.The duel between him and Greek Valerios Leonidis, in which the field was divided into partisan Turkish and Greek spectators, made that competition renowned.
They exchanged three straight world records to become the last two athletes standing after the competition; Süleymanolu was in charge of lifting 187.5 kg.
Following that, Leonidis’ effort to lift 190 kilos failed, earning him the silver medal.
Olympic gold medalist Naim Süleymanoglu
Suleymanoglu competed for the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.
The first competitor was the Greek weightlifter Valerios Leonidas. As a result, they engaged in a fierce competition that saw each of them break a world record.
Furthermore, Leonidas outlifted Suleymanoglu, who set a world record of 185 kg, with 187.5 kg.
Suleymanoglu was currently responsible for organising Leonidas’ lift of the gold. And within minutes of the world record being established, he tied it with Leonidas.In agreement with Insight Jones in the London Free, commentator Lynn Jones observed, “You’ve fair watched the most notable weightlifting competition in history.”
With this gold medal, Suleymanoglu became the only weightlifter in history to win gold at three different Olympics.
What is Relationships status of Naim Süleymanoglu?
Süleymanolu was never wed. The renowned weightlifter suffers from liver failure brought on severe cirrhosis. He was consequently given a hospital bed in Istanbul. At age 50, he passed away.
He does, however, have four girls as children. Naim is their father, despite the fact that their mothers’ identities and places of birth are unknown.Esin Süleymanolu, Sezin Süleymanolu, Nilay Süleymanolu, and Sekai Mori are his daughters. Prior to 2018, Sekai Mori wasn’t regarded as one of his offspring, but DNA testing has revealed that she is in fact the late champion’s daughter.
The athlete’s diminutive stature and charisma earned him the moniker “Pocket Hercules.” After setting six world championship records and returning home with three Olympic gold medals, he finally became a household name.
In addition, at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, he garnered notoriety by lifting the renowned champion of the weight class above him.
After capturing 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 very long time. Finally, he spent around three months in the clinic in 2009.
He underwent a liver transplant on October 6 when a liver donor was discovered. After that, on November 11, he underwent surgery because of bleeding inside of his brain and the edoema that followed.

He thus passed away on November 18, 2017. He was laid to rest in Istanbul’s Edirnekap Martyrs Cemetery.After his death, a movie called Cep Herkülü: Naim Süleymanolu was made on his life and career. Finally, on November 22, 2019, the film was made available in Turkey.
After his death, a Japanese woman claimed that she had a girl named Sekai Mori with him. Then, at a Turkish court, she recorded a paternity case.
In order to get a DNA sample, Süleymanolu’s grave was opened on July 4, 2018. A DNA test also supported her assertion. In addition, he had three daughters with a Turkish woman.
What is Naim Süleymanoglu estimated wealth?
The weightlifter has amassed an astounding amount of riches throughout the course of his career.
Additionally, Naim’s net worth has fluctuated between $1 million and $5 million since the beginning of his career. He is therefore among the richest athletes. His anticipated net worth therefore exceeds $5 million.
He thus receives an annual compensation of more than a million dollars. In addition, the athlete earned a respectable sum from his sponsorship agreements.
As a result, the player is usually supported by numerous well-known brands and businesses.