‘Pocket Hercules,’ 3-time Olympic champ, dies at 50
ANKARA, TURKEY » Naim Suleymanoglu, the Turkish weightlifter who won three Olympic gold medals and was known as “Pocket Hercules,” died Saturday. He was 50.
Suleymanoglu was considered one of the sport’s greatest athletes and earned his nickname for his strength and diminutive size. He died at an Istanbul hospital where he was receiving treatment for cirrhosis of the liver. He had been in intensive care since Sept. 28 and received a liver transplant in October, according to Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency.
The weightlifter — 4-foot10 tall — won three straight Olympic gold medals for Turkey between 1988 and 1996. The Bulgarian-born Suleymanoglu could lift three times his weight.
He came out of retirement to try for a fourth gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 but missed all three of his lifts.
“I know only gold,” Suleymanoglu had said as he returned to competition. “I do not know about silver or bronze.”
Suleymanoglu also won seven world and six European championships.
He was born to an ethnic Turkish family in Bulgaria, and defected to Turkey in 1986 while training in Australia.
Regarded as a national hero in his adopted country, Suleymanoglu captured the hearts of Turks after winning his first gold at Seoul, South Korea, in 1988.
Golf: Wie in 4-way tie for lead
NAPLES, FLA. » What looked to be a victory lap for 24-year-old rookie Sung Hyun Park from South Korea turned into a free-forall Saturday at Tiburon Golf Club. Park at least was in solid position, one shot out of the lead, in her bid to become the first rookie since Nancy Lopez in 1978 to sweep all the major LPGA Tour awards.
She just never expected so much company.
Michelle Wie, who lost six weeks to an emergency appendectomy, had a 6-under 66 and was part of a four-way tie for the lead going into the final round. Kim Kaufman, who is recovering from mono, ran off eight birdies in her round of 64. Joining them at 10-under 206 were Ariya Jutanugarn (67) and Suzann Pettersen (69).
Park, who didn’t make a birdie until the 13th hole and shot 75, was among seven players one shot behind. ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA. » PGA Tour rookie Austin Cook shot a 4-under 66 to increase his lead to three strokes in the RSM Classic. DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES » Justin Rose will take a one-shot lead into the final day of the season-ending Tour Championship as he attempts to win a third straight title on the European Tour and a second career Race to Dubai crown.