Muhammed Furkan Özbek is a Turkish national weightlifter born on January 4, 2001 in Yozgat. Standing 1.63 meters tall, the athlete has competed internationally in various weight classes including 65 kg, 67 kg, 69 kg and 73 kg throughout his professional career. Özbek is a licensed athlete of ASKİ Sports Club under Ankara Metropolitan Municipality and has won gold medals at the Youth Olympic Games, European Championships and World Championships during his career, while also breaking world and European records.

Family Life and Entry into Sports

Muhammed Furkan Özbek and his family (AA)

Özbek’s family consists of his mother Firdevs Özbek, his father Ünal Özbek, and his older sister Rukiye Özbek who is four years his senior. It is noted that the family had limited financial means and that his father Ünal Özbek was unable to work for approximately one year following a surgical procedure. During this period, his mother worked at a wholesale business and his sister worked as a cashier. Muhammed Furkan Özbek has financially supported his family for about four to five years through the prizes and salary earned from his sport. The medals he won since childhood are preserved as a collection by his father with the intention of eventually displaying them in their home.

Muhammed Furkan Özbek (AA)

Özbek began weightlifting in 2010 not by his own initiative but because his physical education teacher, noting his high energy levels during primary school, directed him to the weightlifting gym to channel his activity. He initially did not want to participate in the sport and would often cry and try to escape training sessions. However, he continued after his coach Gökhan Kuşçuoğlu recognized his potential and refused to let him quit.

Positive feedback from those around him and his first medal won at a regional competition in Ankara played a decisive role in his decision to embrace weightlifting as a professional career. Since childhood, he has regarded Naim Süleymanoğlu and Halil Mutlu as his role models.

Youth Competition Career and Early Achievements

Özbek achieved his first significant international results in the youth categories. At the 3rd Youth Olympic Games held in Argentina, he competed in the 69 kg weight class, lifted a total of 305 kg, and won a gold medal. In the same year, he won another gold medal in the 69 kg category at the 2018 European Youth Weightlifting Championships. At the 2021 Youth World Weightlifting Championships, he competed in the 67 kg category and concluded the event with two gold medals and one silver medal.

Senior Category, Mediterranean Games and Olympic Games

Representing Türkiye in the senior category, Özbek competed in the 67 kg division at the 2021 European Weightlifting Championships and won two gold medals and one bronze medal. At the 2022 European Weightlifting Championships, he again won two gold medals in the same weight class and earned a silver medal at the 19th Mediterranean Games. His first Olympic experience came at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where he competed in the 67 kg category. He lifted 142 kg in the snatch but failed to successfully complete his attempt of 173 kg in the clean and jerk. At the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, he competed in the 73 kg category and, according to his own statement, narrowly missed winning a medal.

2025 World Championship and World Record

The 2025 World Weightlifting Championships held in Forde, Norway in October 2025 marked a pivotal moment in Özbek’s career. In accordance with new weight classes established by the International Weightlifting Federation, he adopted a professional diet program to compete in the Olympic weight class of 65 kg, losing 12 kg over three months without losing muscle mass.

At the championship, competing in the men’s 65 kg category, Özbek lifted 145 kg in the snatch to win gold and 179 kg in the clean and jerk to win silver. With a total of 324 kg, he broke the world record and became world champion. This title marked Türkiye’s first senior world championship win in weightlifting after a 15-year gap. It is noted that despite experiencing intense pain in his leg, Özbek broke the world record at the end of the competition following guidance from his coaches. His teammate Ferdi Hardal finished fourth in the snatch with 135 kg at the same championship.

2026 European Championship and European Record

On April 20, 2026, the national athlete competed in the men’s 65 kg category at the European Weightlifting Championships held in Batumi, Georgia. On the second day of the competition, Özbek took to the podium and won a silver medal with a snatch of 143 kg. In the clean and jerk, he lifted 180 kg, improving his own European record and winning the gold medal. With a total of 323 kg, Özbek became European champion.

Muhammed Furkan Özbek (left), Ferdi Hardal (right) (AA)

With this achievement, the number of gold medals Özbek has won at European Championships throughout his career reached six.

His fellow national weightlifter Ferdi Hardal, competing in the same weight class, won bronze in the snatch with 135 kg, finished fourth in the clean and jerk with 158 kg, and placed third overall in Europe with a total of 293 kg.

Club Career, Training Methods and Academic Talks

Özbek continues his training under the umbrella of ASKİ Sports Club affiliated with Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, coached by Gökhan Kuşçuoğlu and Mehmet Doğan. It is noted that he listens to music and occasionally dances during training to achieve mental relaxation. Abdullah Çakmar, General Coordinator of ASKİ Sports Club, stated that Özbek will serve as a role model for the new generation of young athletes following in the footsteps of Naim Süleymanoğlu and Halil Mutlu in Turkish weightlifting.

In November 2025, Özbek participated as a guest in the “Learn from the Field” talks organized by Gazi University’s Center for Talent and Performance Applications and Research in Sports. At the event held in the Faculty of Sports Sciences conference hall, he shared his experiences regarding the physical, mental and technical dimensions of weightlifting with students. He provided insights on goal setting, discipline and consistency and reiterated his goal of winning a gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. At the conclusion of the program, he was presented with a certificate of appreciation by Prof. Dr. İmdat Yarım, Director of the Center.