IWF120y/68 – 2004: Halil Mutlu (TUR) enters a very ‘exclusive’ club
After winning his third consecutive gold medal at the Games, Halil Mutlu (TUR) entered in 2004 in the very “exclusive” club of the lifters with three Olympic titles. Born in July 1973 in Bulgaria, he starts to be noticed at the beginning of the 1990s, when he won his first medals at the European level: bronze in 1991 and 1992. At 19, he takes part in his first Games, in Barcelona, finishing fifth in his category (52kg). The following years, his domination is overwhelming and will materialise in three Olympic victories (Atlanta 1996: 132.5-155-287.5; Sydney 2000: 137.5-167.5-305; Athens 2004: 135-160-295) and five titles at the IWF World Championships (1994, 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2003). Competing in four different bodyweight categories throughout his career (52kg, 54kg, 56kg, and 62kg), Mutlu established 21 World Records (10 in Snatch, six in Clean & Jerk, and five in Total). His personal bests were 138.5 in Snatch, 168 in C&J, and 305 in Total. Having retired in 2008, the Turkish “Dynamo” (the nickname by which he was known) also collected nine gold medals at the European Championships and was one of the few athletes in history to have lifted the equivalent of three times his own body weight. Mutlu was the fourth weightlifter to have earned three gold medals at the Olympics, after his compatriot Naim Suleymanoglu (1988-1996), Pyrros Dimas (GRE, 1992-2000), and Kakhi Kakhiashvili (GEO/GRE, 1992-2000).
