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Turkish national athlete Elif Akcicek, who broke Türkiye’s record twice within four months, is aiming to return with a medal from the European Clubs Cross Country Championships to be held in Portugal.
The 17-year-old Fenerbahce Sports Club runner, who lives in the village of Boyali in the Varto district of Mus, set a new Türkiye youth record in the 2,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 6:35.83 at the Under-20 Clubs Türkiye Championship held in Izmir on Aug. 30-31 last year. The mark broke a 24-year-old national record.
Akcicek later broke another Türkiye record, clocking 9:34.43 in the 3,000 meters in the Under-18 girls category at the Indoor Record Trial Competition on Dec. 28 at Istanbul’s Atakoy Athletics Hall, ending an eight-year record.
Now preparing for an international competition, Akcicek trains twice daily at the Mus Athletics Track and has set her sights on a podium finish in Portugal.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Akcicek said she has been involved in athletics for five years and is determined to continue her rise.
“I want to represent my country and my club in the best possible way at the European Clubs Cross Country Championships to be held in Portugal,” she said. “My goal is to get on the podium in Portugal. We had a very intense season.”
Akcicek said her ambitions extend beyond the upcoming European event, noting plans to compete at the Under-20 World Championships in the United States in August.
“After the competition, I want to represent my province and my country in the best possible way at the Under-20 World Championships to be held in the United States,” she said. “I want to finish first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase category.”
She added that she trains in morning and evening sessions alongside teammate Derya Kunur and credited her coach for her progress.
“I would like to thank my coach Naim Koclardan very much for his efforts,” she said.
Akcicek’s coach, Naim Koclardan, described the young athlete as a source of pride for the region.
“Elif Akcicek is our province’s national pride,” Koclardan said. “She finished high school this year and started university life. In a short time, she was selected for the national team and achieved good results. The goals do not end. We will bring the championship trophy to our country from Portugal.”
Mus Youth and Sports Provincial Director Yusuf Kilic, who visited the athletes during training, said Akcicek joined the national athletics team in 2024 and expressed confidence that she would continue her success at the European championships.
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