Merve Uslu (born 1994 is a Turkish female visually impaired judoka competing in the −70 kg division.

Merve Uslu
Personal information
NationalityTurkish
Born1994 (age 29–30)
Ankara, Turkey
Sport
CountryTurkey
SportJudo
Event-70 kg J1 (formerly-57 kg J1)
Medal record
Representing  Turkey
Women's Judo
European Para Championships
Silver medal – second place 2023 Rotterdam -70 kg J1
IBSA European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Cagliari -57 kg J1
IBSA World Grand Prix
Gold medal – first place 2022 Nur-Sultan -57 kg J1
Gold medal – first place 2022 Antalya -57 kg J1

Sport career

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She started athletics at the age of seven with encouragement of her physical education teacher in the primary school. She continued performing athletics until the age of sixteen. Then, she switched over to judo with the recommendation of a coach of the Ankara Metropolitan Mınicipality's EGO SK.[1]

After moving to Körfez, Kocaeli Province, she joined Körfez Bld. Gençler Birliği SK. She is coached by Rabia Nilgün Kerkez..[1]

She weighed 85 kg when she moved from Ankara in 2014. In 2021, she became Turkish champion in the −52 kg event of the national para judo championships after she lost 34 kg weight in nine months under the control of her coach.[1] In Kocaeli, she was named the Special Athlete of the Year in 2021.[2]

In 2021, she was admitted to the Turkey national team.[2] In April 2022, she took the gold medal in the -57 kg at the IBSA World Grand Prix in Antalya, Turkey.[3][4] In May of that year, she won another Grand Prix gold medal in the same weight class in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.[5] At the 2022 IBSA European Judo Championships in Cagliari, Italy, she became bronze medalist.[6] In Baku, Azerbaijan at the 2022 IBSA World Judo Championships, she placed seventh.[7] After changing her weight class from −57 kg to −70 kg, she won the silver medal at the 2023 European Para Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands.[8]

Personal life

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Merve Uslu was born in Ankara, Turkey in 1994. She was educated in a school for the visually impaired in her hometown Ankara. In 2014, she moved to Körfez district in Kocaeli Province.[1]

Uslu is mother of two children.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Merve Uslu'nun verdiği 34 kilo altın madalya getirdi!". Fanatik (in Turkish). 2 October 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Merve Uslu herkesi duygulandırdı". Kocaeli (in Turkish). 17 May 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  3. ^ "IBSA JHudo Grand Prix – Antalya 2022 Başarılarımız" (in Turkish). Görme Engelliler Spor Federasyonu. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  4. ^ "WJD 2022, A Fresh Start for VI Judo at Grand Prix in Antalya". International Judo Federation. 24 April 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Türkiye 2022 Kazakistan Judo Grand Prix'ten 6 Madalya ile Döndü". olimpiyatkomitesi.org.tr (in Turkish). Türkiye Milli Olimpiyat Komitesi. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  6. ^ "IBSA Avrupa Judo Şampiyonası'nda 8 Madalya". olimpiyatkomitesi.org.tr (in Turkish). Türkiye Milli Olimpiyat Komitesi. 4 September 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  7. ^ "IBSA Judo World Championships Baku 2022" (PDF). IBSA Judo. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  8. ^ Avşar, Halil İbrahim (9 August 2023). "Avrupa Paralimpik Şampiyonası'nda ilk altın madalya Döndü Yeşilyurt'tan". Anadolu News Agency (in Turkish). Retrieved 15 August 2023.