Halil Mutlu (born Halil Aliev ()Халил Мутлу: Децата ми не знаят български, но ще ги науча on 14 July 1973 in Postnik, Bulgaria) is a Turkish former professional weightlifter with several World and Olympic championship titles. Mutlu is one of the six weightlifters who has achieved three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games. His weightlifting career includes five World championships, nine European championships and more than 20 world records at , and combined.
Career In 1994, he won both the European and world championships, titles that would soon become commonplace for him. He made his first Olympic appearance in 1992 in the 52 kg category and finished fifth. In 1996, in the 54 kg category, the reigning world champion and world record holder, Mutlu broke the world record in the snatch and went on to win the gold medal by 7.5 kg. At the 1999 World Championships he beat silver medal winner Adrian Jigău by around 20 kg and set a new world record. He remained undefeated until the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where he was even more dominant than he had been in Atlanta. This time he set world records in both the snatch and the clean and jerk and won by 17.5 kg in the 56 kg category.
He was suffering from a shoulder injury in 2003 and temporarily moved to the 62 kg class. His career appeared in doubt after a torn right rotator cuff and ruptured biceps tendon sidelined him for most of 2002.
Mutlu dominated in his weight class since mid-1990s. By the time of the Athens Olympics in 2004, Mutlu won the world championship five times, although he had missed the 2002 season because of injury. In Athens he out lifted Wu Meijin of China by 5 kg in the snatch and then extended his lead in the jerk to earn victory by 7.5 kg. At 31, he captured his third consecutive gold medal at the Olympics in Athens.
Steroid ban In 2005, Mutlu was banned from international competition by the International Weightlifting Federation for 2 years for use of anabolic steroid Nandrolone, although he insists that he never knowingly took steroids. The Turkish Weightlifting Federation itself had been suspended by the IWF for "repeated anti-doping violations" until May 2006. He pulled out of the 2008 Beijing Olympics stating that he was not able to "lift my targeted weight in practice." As a penalty, he was expelled from the ASKI.
Personal life Mutlu is married and has lived in Ankara, Turkey since the early 1990s. He is a member of the Konya Kombassan Club in Konya and is coached by Ibrahim Elmali. Beside weightlifting, Mutlu enjoys wrestling.
Highlights World junior champion (1993), Five-time world champion (2003, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1994 - 1st; 1995, 1993 - 2nd.), Nine-time European champion (2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994), 25 gold medals (8 Snatch, 8 Clean and Jerk, 9 Total) in total at European Championships, winner of the most gold medals second after David Rigert with 27 gold medals, Only fourth weightlifter to win three Olympic gold medals (2004, 2000, 1996), Named as the "Sportsman of the year 1999" in Turkey, He is one of five men in history to lift three times his bodyweight,
Major results Year Venue Weight Snatch (kg) Clean & Jerk (kg) Total Rank 1 2 3 Rank 1 2 3 RankOlympic Games1992 Barcelona, Spain 52 kg 105.0110.0112.55135.0137.5137.55247.551996 Atlanta, United States 54 kg 125.0130.0132.51152.5152.5155.01287.52000 Sydney, Australia 56 kg 130.0135.0138.01160.0167.5170.01305.02004 Athens, Greece 56 kg 130.0135.0140.01160.0165.0168.51295.0World Championships1993 Melbourne, Australia 54 kg 120.0122.5125.0152.5155.0155.0275.01994 Istanbul, Turkey 54 kg 122.5127.5130.0152.5158.0160.0290.01995 Guangzhou, China 54 kg 125.0127.5130.0155.0155.0160.5285.01998 Lahti, Finland 56 kg 130.0135.0135.0160.0160.0166.0295.01999 Athens, Greece 56 kg 130.0136.0137.5160.0166.0—302.52001 Antalya, Turkey 56 kg 132.5138.5—162.5168.5168.5300.02003 Vancouver, Canada 62 kg 145.0145.0147.5175.0175.0180.0322.5 European Championships1990 Aalborg, Denmark 52 kg 102.54127.55230.041991 Wladyslawowo, Poland 52 kg 105.0135.0240.01992 Szekszárd, Hungary 52 kg 110.0137.5247.51994 Sokolov, Czech Republic 54 kg 122.5155.0277.51995 Warsaw, Poland 54 kg 130.0155.0285.01996 Stavanger, Norway 54 kg 120.0130.0130.0145.0155.0160.0275.01997 Rijeka, Croatia 54 kg 120.0125.0130.0150.0155.0—280.01999 A Coruña, Spain 56 kg 130.0135.5135.5155.0160.0166.0295.52000 Sofia, Bulgaria 56 kg 127.5132.5135.0157.5166.5—300.02001 Trenčín, Slovakia 56 kg 125.0130.0135.0155.0168.0—302.52003 Loutraki, Greece 62 kg 140.0145.0145.0170.0175.0180.0320.02005 Sofia, Bulgaria62 kg 135.0140.0—DSQ165.0167.5—DSQ307.5DSQ2008 Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy56 kg 120120120149149151269World Junior Championships1991 Wolmirstedt, Germany 52 kg 105.0127.54232.541992 Varna, Bulgaria 52 kg 112.5137.5250.01993 Cheb, Czech 54 kg 122.5152.5275.0 European Junior Championships1992 Cardiff, United Kingdom 52 kg 112.5135.0247.5
Medals Olympics Rank Discipline Snatch Clean&Jerk Total Place Date–56 kg135.0160.0295.0Athens, GREAug 17, 2004–56 kg137.5167.5 WR305.0 Sydney, AUSSep 16, 2000–54 kg132.5155.0287.5Atlanta, GA, United States1996
World Championships Rank Discipline Snatch Clean&Jerk Total Place Date–62 kg147.5175.0322.5Vancouver, CANAug 6, 2003–56 kg138.5 WR162.5301.0Antalya, TURNov 4, 2001–56 kg137.5165.0302.5 WRAthens, GRENov 22, 1999–56 kg135.0160.0 295.0Lahti, FIN1998–54 kg130.0 Guangzhou, CHN1995–54 kg 155.0285.0Guangzhou, CHN1995–54 kg130.0160.0290.0Istanbul, TUR1994–54 kg122.5152.5275.0Melbourne, AUS1993
European Championships Rank Discipline Snatch Clean&Jerk Total Place Date–62 kg140.0167.5307.5Sofia, BULApr 20, 2005–56 kg120.0149.0269.0Lignano Sabbiadoro, ITAApr 14, 2008–56 kg138.5168.0305.0Loutraki, GREApr 15, 2003–56 kg 168.0 WR Trenčín, SVKApr 24, 2001–56 kg135.0165.0300.0 Sofia, BUL 2000–56 kg135.0160.0295.0Coruña, ESP 1999
CWR: Current world record WR: World record
See also Athletes with most gold medals in one event at the Olympic Games
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