Sureyya Ayhan Wins European Gold in 1500 M

News
September 1, 2002
Year 13 No. 306

Sureyya Ayhan Wins European Gold in 1500 M

Sureyya Ayhan (No. 780 at far right) leads Europe's best athletes

Aybars Erdemli, The Turkish Times - Turkish track star Sureyya Ayhan produced a great performance to win the finals of the women's 1500 meters at the 18th European Athletics Championship in Munich. Leading from the gun to the finish, Ms. Ayhan fought off a surging and pre-race favorite Gabriella Szabo from Romania to become Turkey's first 1500 m European champion in the fastest time of the year.

In an interview she gave upon returning to Istanbul, she said that disciplined preparation had brought her the gold medal and she added that she is proud to give that medal to Turkey. Doubtless getting a gold medal is the most important achievement for all athletes and now Sureyya has another target for her and for her country: next year's World Championship and the Olympics a year after that.

According to her, there will be more support for her sport after this success. She believes that the more support she and other athletes get the more success there will be in the future of Turkish athletics. Sureyya. said that there are many like her in Turkey and that all one needs to do is to discover and to support those secret stars.