Ahmet Arslan (athlete)

Ahmet Arslan
Personal information
NationalityTurkish
Born1986 (age 38–39)
Gazipaşa, Antalya, Turkey
Sport
CountryTurkey
SportMountain running
ClubRed Bull
Coached byMetin Sazak
RetiredJanuary 2020
Medal record
Mountain Running
Representing Turkey
World Grand Prix
2010 Šmarna gora Senior
World Championships
2016 Sapareva Banya Senior
2011 Tirana Senior
World Trophy
2008 Sierre Senior
European Championships
2013 Borovets Senior
2012 Denizli Senior
2011 Bursa Senior
2010 Sapareva Banya Senior
2009 Telfes im Stubai Senior
2008 Zell am Harmersbach Senior
2007 Cauterets Senior

Ahmet Arslan (born 1986 in Gazipaşa, Antalya) is a retired long-distance runner from Turkey who competed in mountain running. He is a seven time successive champion of European Mountain Running Championships.

Biography

He was born in 1986[1] to a farmer's family in Gazipaşa of Antalya Province in southern Turkey. Ahmet Arslan has seven siblings. He completed his primary and secondary education in his hometown. After the high school, he attended Adnan Menderes University in Aydın and graduated 2009 with a degree in physical education and sports.[2]

Ahmet Arslan started with athletics in 2000 at the high school. He had to discontinue sports in 2004 for one year. After 2005, he begin intensive running training, especially after meeting his coach Metin Sazak, a former athlete. He switched to mountain running from cross-country running. That year, he took part in the national mountain running championships and became successful although he competed in the seniors category despite his young age. Admitted to the national team, he participated at his first international events like the European Mountain Championships and the World Mountain Running Trophy and gained international experience.[2]

From 2007 on, Ahmet Arslan won the European championships seven times in a row.[3][4] In 2010, he won the gold medal also at the WMRA Grand Prix.[5][6] He was the silver medallist at the 2011 World Mountain Running Championships, coming second behind American Max King.[7] In the absence of the American, he won the continental title at the 2011 European Mountain Running Championships held in Turkey. He won that year's WMRA Grand Prix series. He began 2012 with a win at the Montée du Grand Ballon race.[8] He has won the Red Bull 400 several times between 2011 and 2019.[9][10] Since mountain running sport is not recognized as an Olympic sports branch, he is complaining about not finding a sponsor for his active sports career.[2]

He also coaches her spouse Yasemin Can Arslan, a long-distance runner.[11] Eraly January 2020, the Red Bull athlete announced that he retired from active sport.[4]

Achievements

Year Event Host Rank
Junior men's
2005 21st World Mountain Running Trophy  New Zealand, Wellington 4th[12]
Senior men's
2007 6th European Championships  France, Cauterets
2008 7th European Championships  Germany, Zell am Harmersbach
24th World Mountain Running Trophy  Switzerland, Sierre [13]
2009 8th European Championships  Austria, Telfes im Stubai
2010 9th European Championships  Bulgaria, Sapareva Banya [14]
WMRA Grand Prix  Slovenia, Šmarna gora [6]
26th WMRA World Championships  Slovenia, Kamnik 7th[15]
2011 6th Antalya Marathon  Turkey, Antalya
10th European Championships  Turkey, Bursa [5]
27th World Championships  Albania, Tirana
1st Red Bull 400  Austria Bad Mitterndorf
2012 11th European Championships  Turkey, Denizli [3]
3rd Red Bull 400  Slovenia Planica |-
2013 4th Red Bull 400  Slovenia Planica
5th Red Bull 400  Austria Tauplitz Bad Mitterndorf
12th European Championships  Bulgaria, Borovets [16]
2014|- 7th Red Bull 400  Austria Tauplitz Bad Mitterndorf
13th European Championships  France, Hautes-Alpes 8th[17]
2015 12th Red Bull 400  Czech Republic, Harrachov
13th Red Bull 400  Austria, Bischofshofen
14th Red Bull 400  Slovenia, Planica
15th Red Bull 400  United States, Park City
2016 16th Red Bull 400  Kazakhstan, Almaty
18th Red Bull 400  Germany, Titisee-Neustadt [9]
22nd Red Bull 400  Slovenia, Planica
32nd World Championships  Bulgaria, Sapareva Banya
2017 24th Red Bull 400  Kazakhstan, Almaty
25th Red Bull 400  Turkey, Erzurum
31st Red Bull 400  Germany, Titisee-Neustadt
2018 46th Red Bull 400  Germany, Titisee-Neustadt
2019 54th Red Bull 400  Kazakhstan, Almaty

Awards

References

  1. ^ "Türkiye Dağ Koşusu Akseki' de koşuldu" (in Turkish). Abdil Ceylan. 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  2. ^ a b c "Ahmet Arslan" (in Turkish). Federasyonlar. 2010-08-12. Archived from the original on 2010-12-15. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  3. ^ a b "Arslan reigns supreme again at the European Mountain Running Championships". European Athletics. Archived from the original on 2012-07-14. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
  4. ^ a b "Avrupa şampiyonu Ahmet Arslan, aktif sporculuk kariyerini noktaladı". Anadolu News Agency (in Turkish). 9 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Turkey's Arslan lays claim to 'greatest' title after 5th straight victory". European Athletics. Archived from the original on 2011-08-24. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  6. ^ a b "Arslan and Mayr win in Slovenia and take WMRA Grand Prix titles". European Athletics. 2011-07-13. Archived from the original on 2011-08-24.
  7. ^ Hussain, Bashir (2011-09-13). USA double, as eleven nations take medals at the 27th World Mountain Running Championships. IAAF/WMRA. Retrieved on 2011-09-24.
  8. ^ Hobbs, Nancy (2012-05-18). Arslan and Belotti triumph at WMRA kick-off in Willer Sur Thur. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-05-22.
  9. ^ a b "Alanyalı atletler, Almanya'da birinci oldu". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 19 July 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  10. ^ {"Ahmet Arslan'dan Onuncu Red Bull 400 Galibiyeti!" (in Turkish). Red Bull. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  11. ^ Mutlu, Burcu (14 April 2020). "Milli atlet Yasemin Can Arslan ve minik sporculardan "Evde kal" mesajı". Güney Haberci (in Turkish). Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  12. ^ Osmond, David (2005-09-25). "The World Mountain Running Trophy" (PDF). R4YL. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
  13. ^ "Adverse weather fails to dampen thrilling World Trophy". World Mountain Running Association. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  14. ^ "Turkey's Arslan is Europe's best mountain runner for the fourth time". European Athletics. 2010-07-04. Archived from the original on 2010-07-08. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  15. ^ "Gasgazghi and Mayr take World Mountain Running titles in Kamnik". IAAF. 2010-09-06. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  16. ^ "Wonderful 12. European Mountain Running Champs. 2013 at Borovets (Bulgaria):Italy and Turkey at top!". 6 July 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  17. ^ "Men individual (12.8 km/750 m/62 participants)". Retrieved 17 June 2019.