İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club's national athlete with Down syndrome, Alper Öztürk (34), won seven gold medals at the World Championship for Athletes with Down Syndrome held in Bulgaria. Speaking about the historic achievement, his coach İlhan Karanlık said with pride, "He had our National Anthem played seven times."

Alper Öztürk, the 34-year-old national athlete with Down syndrome representing İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club, has added another remarkable achievement to his long list of national and international successes. Having lost both of his parents and now living with his siblings, Öztürk won seven gold medals at the World Championship for Athletes with Down Syndrome, held in Sofia, Bulgaria, between 13 and 19 June 2026. On the first day of the competition, Öztürk won the title of World Champion in the Artistic Gymnastics Senior Men's Category, and also achieved the same success in the floor exercise, rings, and pommel horse categories.
Completing an outstanding performance, he went on to win world titles in the vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar, stepping onto the top of the podium seven times in total. After returning to İzmir, the national athlete continued training without interruption under the guidance of his coach, İlhan Karanlık. Expressing his feelings, Öztürk said he was delighted to have won seven gold medals and emphasized his determination to continue pursuing his sporting career.

"Seven gold medals are a tremendous achievement for us"
Coach İlhan Karanlık, who worked for many years at İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club before serving with the national teams, said he has dedicated himself to supporting athletes with special needs. Explaining that he first met Alper Öztürk in 2016 and has coached him on a voluntary basis, Karanlık said, "Alper became European champion at the European Championship held in İstanbul between 12 and 16 June 2025. This year, he went on to win seven gold medals at the World Championship in Bulgaria and had our National Anthem played seven times. That is an incredible achievement for all of us."

"My sincere thanks to İzmir Metropolitan Municipality"
Emphasizing the importance of providing greater support for athletes with special needs, Karanlık said, "We can do much more for these athletes. With greater support, they can achieve even greater success. İzmir Metropolitan Municipality's sports facilities are well-equipped and accessible, and the coaching staff is highly qualified. However, working in this field requires more than a standard coaching certificate. Coaches need specialized training and a different approach when working with athletes with special needs. There is a real need for more qualified coaches in this area. The Turkish Special Athletes Sports Federation regularly organizes training courses. Anyone who wants to work with these children should participate in those courses. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for the opportunities and support provided to both these athletes and to us."

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