SULEYMANOGLU, NAIM

born January 23, 1967, Ptichar, Bulgaria original name Naim Suleimanov, Bulgarian Naum Shalamanov, byname Pocket Hercules Bulgarian-born Turkish weight lifter who dominated the sport in the mid-1980s and the 90s. Suleymanoglu began lifting weights at age 10, and at age 14 he came within 2.5 kg (5.5 pounds) of a world record. At 15 he set his first world record; he was prevented from competing in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles by Bulgaria's boycott. In 1986 Suleymanoglu defected to Turkey, adopting a Turkish form of his last name. Turkey paid Bulgaria more than $1 million to waive the Olympic rule barring athletes from participating for three years after changing nationality, and Suleymanoglu competed for Turkey at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He won an Olympic gold medal, Turkey's first in weight lifting. He set world records in the 60-kg (132-pound) weight class in the snatch (152.5 kg [336.3 pounds]) and the clean and jerk (190 kg [419 pounds]) for a total of 342.5 kg (755.2 pounds). In 1992 Suleymanoglu defended his gold medal at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, winning the snatch (142.5 kg [314 pounds]) and the clean and jerk (177.5 kg [391 pounds]) for a total of 320 kg (705 pounds). Competing in the 64-kg (141-pound) weight class at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, he again earned a gold medal, lifting 147.5 kg (325 pounds) in the snatch and 187.5 kg (413.5 pounds) in the clean and jerk for a world record total of 335 kg (738.5 pounds). After a three-year retirement, he returned to competition in 1999 and participated at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia; he failed to win a medal.