Yasemin Ecem Anagöz is a professional national archer representing Türkiye in the classical recurve category, born on 14 October 1998 in İzmir. She began her sporting career in 2007 and at the age of 15 in 2013 was selected for the Senior National Team, beginning competition at the international level. At 17 years old she participated in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, becoming the youngest female athlete in Türkiye’s history to compete in the Olympics. Throughout her career, Yasemin Anagöz has won European championships, set world records, and achieved numerous international results. In 2019 she became the first and only Turkish woman athlete to be named “World Athlete of the Year” by the World Archery Federation.^【1】

Yasemin Ecem Anagöz (Source: Yasemin Ecem Anagöz)

Life and Personal Information

Born on 14 October 1998 in İzmir, Yasemin Ecem Anagöz completed her early years in sports and basic education in this city. Her professional career has been centered in İzmir and Antalya.^【2】

Educational Background

Her education began in 2005 at Dr. Cavit Özyegin Primary School in İzmir. She started her high school education at Mustafa Kemal Anatolian High School in İzmir but transferred in the 11th grade to Muratpaşa Anatolian High School in Antalya due to the necessity of continuing archery training there, completing her secondary education there. In 2017 she was accepted into the Teacher Training Program at the Ege University School of Physical Education and Sports (BESYO), but suspended this education due to Olympic preparations. As of 2022 she is continuing her higher education in the Visual Communication Design program at Anadolu University.^【3】

Beginnings and Professional Development in Archery

She began archery in 2007 on the recommendation of a family friend. Her interest in the sport was strengthened by the motivational appeal of winning medals shaped in squares. In her second official competition she achieved a national ranking, and in her third she broke the Turkish national record. These early technical achievements accelerated her commitment to the sport and her professional development.^【4】

National Team and International Career

Selected for the Senior National Team in 2013 at the age of 15, Anagöz remained continuously in the national squad for 10 years. At the 2018 European Championships in Legnica, Poland, she won gold medals in both individual and women’s team categories, becoming European Champion. This individual achievement marked Türkiye’s first gold medal in this discipline since 1996. She also secured first-place finishes in the mixed team and women’s team categories at the 2022 Mediterranean Games, and in the individual and women’s team categories at the Islamic Solidarity Games.^【5】

Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020

Representing Türkiye at international Olympic events, Anagöz finished fifth at the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games. As the youngest female athlete to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, she placed 16th. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games she finished fourth in the mixed team category and ninth in the individual category.^【6】In the individual competitions in Tokyo, she advanced to the round of 16 by defeating Stephanie Barrett and Xiaolei Yang, before losing to Chaeyoung Kang.^【7】

Yasemin Ecem Anagöz and Mete Gazoz (Anadolu Ajansı)

Record Breakings

In 2018 at a competition in Antalya, Yasemin Ecem Anagöz broke the Senior Turkish National Record with 686 points. In the same year at the European Championships in Legnica, she became the holder of both the world and European records in the mixed team category. Her individual silver medal at the 2018 World Cup Finals holds the distinction of being Türkiye’s first and only medal for a woman in this category in archery history. She also set the Senior Turkish National Record in 2018 with 680 points and broke the Mixed Team World and European Records in 2018.^【8】

Sporting Awards

In 2018, Yasemin Ecem Anagöz was awarded the title of “Female Archer of the Year” for her performance. ^【9】In 2019 she was honored by the World Archery Federation with the title of “World Athlete of the Year.” This achievement marks the first and only international award of its kind won by a Turkish woman athlete.^【10】

Achievements

• 2022 Mediterranean Games Mixed Team Champion – Oran, Algeria
• 2022 Mediterranean Games Women’s Team Champion – Oran, Algeria
• 2022 Islamic Solidarity Games Individual Champion – Konya, Türkiye
• 2022 Islamic Solidarity Games Women’s Team Champion – Konya, Türkiye
• 2022 Islamic Solidarity Games Mixed Team Silver Medal – Konya, Türkiye
• 2022 European Championships Women’s Team Silver Medal – Munich, Germany
• 2022 Mediterranean Games Athletes’ Committee Member
• 2021 World Archery Federation European Athlete Representative
• 2021 World Championships Mixed Team Bronze Medal – Yankton, USA
• 2021 European Championships Qualification Tournament Silver Medal – Antalya, Türkiye
• 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games Mixed Team 4th Place – Tokyo, Japan
• 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games Individual 9th Place – Tokyo, Japan
• 2019 World Cup Mixed Team Bronze Medal – Antalya, Türkiye
• 2019 World Cup Mixed Team Silver Medal – Shanghai, China
• 2019 World Archery Federation World Athlete of the Year Award (first and only Turkish woman to win this award)
• 2018 Junior European Championships Mixed Team Champion – Patras, Greece
• 2018 Senior Turkish National Record (686 points) – Antalya, Türkiye
• 2018 World and European Record Mixed Team – Legnica, Poland
• 2018 European Championships Individual European Champion – Legnica, Poland (first gold medal for Türkiye in this discipline since 1996)
• 2018 European Championships Women’s Team Champion – Legnica, Poland
• 2018 European Championships Mixed Team World Record – Legnica, Poland
• 2018 World Cup Finals Individual Silver Medal (first and only Turkish woman’s medal at World Cup Finals)
• 2018 World Cup Mixed Team Silver Medal
• 2018 World Cup Mixed Team Bronze Medal
• 2018 World Cup Mixed Team Bronze Medal
• 2018 Mediterranean Games Women’s Team Bronze Medal – Tarragona, Spain
• 2018 Fetih Cup Individual Champion – Istanbul, Türkiye
• 2017 Junior World Championships Mixed Team Bronze Medal – Rosario, Argentina
• 2016 Rio Olympic Games 16th Place – Rio, Brazil (youngest female athlete in Türkiye’s Olympic history)
• 2016 European Grand Prix Individual Silver Medal – Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2016 European Grand Prix Mixed Team Champion
• 2016 European Championships Qualification Tournament Champion (youngest female athlete to qualify for Rio 2016)
• 2015 Junior World Championships Women’s Team Silver Medal
• 2014 Youth Olympic Games 5th Place – Nanjing, China
• 2013 Junior European Championships Mixed Team Champion – Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Turkish National Championships between 2013 and 2021.^【11】

Representations in International Federations

In addition to her active sporting career, Anagöz has taken on administrative responsibilities. In 2021 she was elected as the European Athlete Representative for the World Archery Federation. In 2022 she served as a member of the Mediterranean Games Athletes’ Committee, contributing to international representation processes for athletes.^【12】

Yasemin Ecem Anagöz (Source: Yasemin Ecem Anagöz)

Social Responsibility and Personal Development Activities

During the period when the Olympics were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she continued her training at home, practicing technical shots from a five-meter distance and maintaining her regimen through online team systems. During this time she focused on foreign language education and learned to play the melodica to enhance her personal development.

In the realm of social responsibility, she has participated in digital platform projects aimed at encouraging children to develop reading habits. Among her core objectives is introducing girls to sports and guiding them to recognize their strength and potential in society.^【13】