İbrahim Çolak is a Turkish artistic gymnast who elevated Türkiye to the world championship level in the sport and became the first Turkish gymnast in the history of the Republic to win a gold medal in the senior category.
Early Life and Start in Sports
İbrahim Çolak was born in İzmir in 1995. His interest in sports began at an early age, and with his family's guidance, he took up gymnastics at the age of 5. According to his mother, Sultan Çolak, training conditions in those years were not as easy as they are today. Çolak usually attended school in the mornings throughout his education and was careful not to miss his training sessions. His coach, Yılmaz Göktekin, drew attention to his potential from a young age and emphasized to his family that his training should be maintained regularly.
Sports Career
İbrahim Çolak has represented Türkiye in artistic gymnastics on international platforms. One of his most significant achievements is the gold medal he won on the rings apparatus at the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. With this result, he became the first Turkish artistic gymnast in the history of the Republic to become a senior world champion. Çolak, who also competed in the European Championships in the same year, delivered a successful performance in his first major competition after undergoing shoulder surgery. Whether he would compete or not remained uncertain until the final week; the decision to compete was made based on his performance.
Team Achievements and Olympic Participation
In addition to his successes, İbrahim Çolak has made significant contributions at the team level. He played an active role in the process where Türkiye qualified for the Olympics as a team in artistic gymnastics. Çolak considers this development a turning point in Turkish sports history and stated that Türkiye has now become a "gymnastics country" at an international level. He noted that Turkish gymnastics has gained significant momentum, especially in the last decade, and that this success provides an opportunity to reach more children and families.
Family Support and Private Life
His family's support has played a decisive role in İbrahim Çolak's sports career. His mother, Sultan Çolak, in particular, made great efforts to ensure he attended training regularly. His family has been by his side throughout his entire career, supporting him in all circumstances. Çolak has often emphasized this support and stated that the morale of his family members is valuable to him. Çolak, who prefers to spend his free time at home, helps his mother in the kitchen. At home, he prepares meals like pancakes, menemen, and cakes with his mother, taking on simple kitchen tasks. Additionally, playing computer games and watching TV series are among his daily activities.
İbrahim Çolak and His Mother Sultan Çolak (AA)
İbrahim Çolak has crowned his gymnastics career, which began at an early age, with international successes and has become an important figure in the development of Turkish gymnastics through his individual and team contributions. Guided by his coach Yılmaz Göktekin and with the continuous support of his family, he has maintained a stable sports life and directly contributed to Türkiye's team successes at the Olympic level.