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Furkan Akar

Türkiye

SportShort Track
FederationIDSTTUR10603200201
NOCTürkiye
Born06 Mar 2002 in Erzurum 
GenderMen
ResidenceErzurum, TUR
LanguagesEnglish, Turkish
OccupationAthlete
Higher educationCoaching - Ataturk University: Erzurum, TUR
Personal Bests
EventRecordDateLocation 
Personal Bests
  Event RecordDateLocation 
    500m 40.553 16 Mar 2024 Rotterdam  
    1000m 1:23.352 04 Feb 2023 Dresden  
    1500m 2:12.518 05 Nov 2022 Salt Lake City, UT  
Main Achievements
 
Main Achievements
European Championships
Event  
European Championships
    1000m     1  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport?He took up short track at age 11 in Erzurum, Turkiye.  
Social Media
Social Media
www.facebook.com/frkakr1288  
twitter.com/fURKANaKR25  
General Interest
General Interest
HobbiesSpending time with family and friends, watching movies. (Athlete, 12 Dec 2023)  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Reason for choosing this sportHis brother Burak encouraged him to begin skating. "I started this sport thanks to my brother. He was my trainer and he was also an athlete."  
General Interest
General Interest
Hero / IdolCanadian short track skater Charles Hamelin. (Athlete, 12 Dec 2023)  
AmbitionsTo win a medal at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, and to become a short track coach. (cnnturk.com, 09 Feb 2022; sporx.com, 24 Mar 2021)  
Memorable sporting achievementPlacing sixth in the 1000m at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (Athlete, 12 Dec 2023)  
Famous relativesHis older brother Burak Akar has represented Turkiye in short track, including at the 2017 World Junior Championships in Innsbruck, Austria. (SportsDeskOnline, 16 Feb 2022; olympics.com, 04 Feb 2022)  
Most influential person in careerHis brother Burak Akar. (Athlete, 12 Dec 2023)  
Awards and honoursHe and cross-country skier Aysenur Duman were flag bearers for Turkiye at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (olympics.com, 04 Feb 2022; stillmed.olympics.com, 04 Feb 2022)  
MilestonesHe became the first short track skater to represent Turkiye at the Olympic Winter Games when he competed at the 2022 Games in Beijing. (SportsDeskOnline, 16 Feb 2022; olympics.com, 04 Feb 2022)

He became the first short track skater representing Turkiye to win a medal at the European championships by claiming bronze in the 1000m at the 2023 edition of the tournament in Gdansk, Poland. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Oct 2023; trthaber.com, 29 Jan 2023)
 
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Name of coachArtur Sultangaliyev [national], KAZ; Burak Akar [personal, brother], TUR  
General Interest
General Interest
Sporting philosophy / motto"An athlete must work hard. Sometimes he leaves his family in the background but in order to achieve success, some things must be put on the back burner." (trtspor.com.tr, 16 Feb 2022)  
Other informationEARLY DAYS
He began skating by wrapping bags around his feet to glide across patches of ice in his hometown of Erzurum, Turkiye. As he did not own a set of skates, he was unable to begin short track training until he was gifted a pair by a coach. "The fact that short track is not a well-known sport in Turkiye has created problems for us from time to time, but now more people know about it. The support we receive from the government is important, now we have quality ice rinks that most European countries don't have." (sabah.com.tr, 17 Feb 2019)
 
Superstitions / Rituals / BeliefsHe prays before competitions. (Athlete, 12 Dec 2023)  
Championships results
Year Competition Event Rank  
Championships results
    2022/2023 European Championships 1000m3  
    2022/2023 European Championships 500m5  
    2022/2023 European Championships 1500m6  
    2023/2024 European Championships 5000m Relay6  
    2022 Olympic Games 1000m6  
    2021/2022 World Championships 1500m6  
    2023/2024 World Championships 500m9  
    2021/2022 World Championships Overall10  
    2019/2020 World Junior Championships 3000m Relay10  
    2017/2018 World Junior Championships 3000m Relay12  
    2020/2021 European Championships 1000m16  
    2019/2020 World Junior Championships 500m19  
    2023/2024 European Championships 500m19  
    2022/2023 World Championships 1000m20  
    2023/2024 European Championships 1000m20  
    2023/2024 European Championships 1500m22  
    2022/2023 World Championships 500m22  
    2020/2021 European Championships Overall22  
    2022/2023 World Championships 1500m24  
    2021/2022 World Championships 500m25  
    2020/2021 European Championships 500m25  
    2020/2021 European Championships 1500m25  
    2019/2020 European Championships 1000m26  
    2020/2021 World Championships 1500m27  
    2023/2024 World Championships 1500m27  
    2020/2021 World Championships 500m28  
    2019/2020 European Championships Overall28  
    2019/2020 European Championships 1500m29  
    2017/2018 World Junior Championships Overall30  
    2020/2021 World Championships Overall32  
    2019/2020 European Championships 500m32  
    2023/2024 World Championships 1000m37  
    2020/2021 World Championships 1000m38  
    2019/2020 World Junior Championships 1000m42  
    2021/2022 World Championships 1000m44  
World Cups
Year Competition Event Rank  
World Cups
    2022/2023 Salt Lake City, UT 1000m4  
    2022/2023 Salt Lake City, UT 1500m6  
    2022/2023 Dresden 1500m7  
    2022/2023 Dresden 1000m9  
    2022/2023 Almaty 1000m9  
    2019/2020 Salt Lake City, UT 5000m Relay10  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification 1000m14  
    2023/2024 Gdansk 5000m Relay14  
    2023/2024 Dresden 5000m Relay14  
    2018/2019 Dresden 5000m Relay15  
    2019/2020 Dresden 5000m Relay16  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification 1500m18  
    2023/2024 Gdansk 1000m19  
    2022/2023 Almaty 500m21  
    2019/2020 Dresden 1500m26  
    2019/2020 Dresden 500m27  
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification 1500m28  
    2023/2024 Gdansk 500m28  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification Overall31  
    2023/2024 Dresden 1500m34  
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification 1000m35  
    2019/2020 Salt Lake City, UT 500m43  
    2022/2023 Almaty 1500m43  
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification 1000m46  
    2022/2023 Almaty 1000m46  
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification 500m47  
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification Overall49  
    2023/2024 Dresden 1000m52  
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification 1500m53  
    2019/2020 World Cup Classification 500m76  
    2019/2020 World Cup Classification 1500m76