Following Paris 2024, Türkiye’s archery national team coach Yusuf Göktuğ Ergin has set a bold target: to compete with six archers at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Reflecting on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where Turkish archery clinched its first gold medal through Mete Gazoz, Ergin emphasized the importance of building on this achievement.
“Securing a medal at Paris 2024 would validate our sustainable success,” he stated.
Ergin praised the team’s past accomplishments, noting their third-place finish in the Men’s Recurve at Paris 2024, which marked Türkiye as one of the seven nations to win archery medals.
“Our next goal is to raise the bar even higher for Los Angeles 2028,” he said.
Looking ahead, Ergin detailed their strategy: “We aimed for multiple medals in Paris and succeeded. With continued hard work and experience, we plan to enter Los Angeles stronger. In Paris, we competed in four categories with four athletes. For Los Angeles, our primary goal is to send six archers, the maximum number allowed, and pursue medals in individual, team, and mixed events.”
After Paris, Ergin noted that while athletes were given a break, the coaching team has been diligently planning for the next four years.
He also highlighted Türkiye’s hospitality and organizational prowess, asserting that the country could successfully host the Olympics in any of its 81 provinces.
“Despite minor glitches, Paris made commendable efforts. As someone who has participated in Olympics and Youth Olympics in cities like Paris, Tokyo, and Beijing, I firmly believe Türkiye can effectively host the Games in any province,” Ergin concluded.
