Furkan Akar

Türkiye

Residence	Erzurum, TUR
Languages	English, Turkish
Occupation	Athlete
Higher education	Coaching - Ataturk University: Erzurum, TUR

Sport Specific Information

When and where did you begin this sport?

He took up short track at age 11 in Erzurum, Turkiye.

Social Media

www.facebook.com/frkakr1288
twitter.com/fURKANaKR25

General Interest

Hobbies

Spending time with family and friends, watching movies. (Athlete, 12 Dec 2023)

Sport Specific Information

Reason for choosing this sport

His brother Burak encouraged him to begin skating. "I started this sport thanks to my brother. He was my trainer and he was also an athlete."

General Interest

Hero / Idol	Canadian short track skater Charles Hamelin. (Athlete, 12 Dec 2023)
Ambitions	To win a medal at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, and to become a short track coach. (cnnturk.com, 09 Feb 2022; sporx.com, 24 Mar 2021)
Memorable sporting achievement	Placing sixth in the 1000m at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (Athlete, 12 Dec 2023)
Famous relatives	His older brother Burak Akar has represented Turkiye in short track, including at the 2017 World Junior Championships in Innsbruck, Austria. (SportsDeskOnline, 16 Feb 2022; olympics.com, 04 Feb 2022)
Most influential person in career	His brother Burak Akar. (Athlete, 12 Dec 2023)
Awards and honours	He and cross-country skier Aysenur Duman were flag bearers for Turkiye at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (olympics.com, 04 Feb 2022; stillmed.olympics.com, 04 Feb 2022)
Milestones	He became the first short track skater to represent Turkiye at the Olympic Winter Games when he competed at the 2022 Games in Beijing. (SportsDeskOnline, 16 Feb 2022; olympics.com, 04 Feb 2022) He became the first short track skater representing Turkiye to win a medal at the European championships by claiming bronze in the 1000m at the 2023 edition of the tournament in Gdansk, Poland. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Oct 2023; trthaber.com, 29 Jan 2023)

Sport Specific Information

Name of coach

Artur Sultangaliyev [national], KAZ; Burak Akar [personal, brother], TUR

General Interest

Sporting philosophy / motto	"An athlete must work hard. Sometimes he leaves his family in the background but in order to achieve success, some things must be put on the back burner." (trtspor.com.tr, 16 Feb 2022)
Other information	EARLY DAYS He began skating by wrapping bags around his feet to glide across patches of ice in his hometown of Erzurum, Turkiye. As he did not own a set of skates, he was unable to begin short track training until he was gifted a pair by a coach. "The fact that short track is not a well-known sport in Turkiye has created problems for us from time to time, but now more people know about it. The support we receive from the government is important, now we have quality ice rinks that most European countries don't have." (sabah.com.tr, 17 Feb 2019)
Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs	He prays before competitions. (Athlete, 12 Dec 2023)

Championships results	Year	Competition	Event	Rank
Championships results
	2022/2023	European Championships	1000m	3
	2022/2023	European Championships	500m	5
	2022/2023	European Championships	1500m	6
	2023/2024	European Championships	5000m Relay	6
	2022	Olympic Games	1000m	6
	2021/2022	World Championships	1500m	6
	2023/2024	World Championships	500m	9
	2021/2022	World Championships	Overall	10
	2019/2020	World Junior Championships	3000m Relay	10
	2017/2018	World Junior Championships	3000m Relay	12
	2020/2021	European Championships	1000m	16
	2019/2020	World Junior Championships	500m	19
	2023/2024	European Championships	500m	19
	2022/2023	World Championships	1000m	20
	2023/2024	European Championships	1000m	20
	2023/2024	European Championships	1500m	22
	2022/2023	World Championships	500m	22
	2020/2021	European Championships	Overall	22
	2022/2023	World Championships	1500m	24
	2021/2022	World Championships	500m	25
	2020/2021	European Championships	1500m	25
	2020/2021	European Championships	500m	25
	2019/2020	European Championships	1000m	26
	2020/2021	World Championships	1500m	27
	2023/2024	World Championships	1500m	27
	2020/2021	World Championships	500m	28
	2019/2020	European Championships	Overall	28
	2019/2020	European Championships	1500m	29
	2017/2018	World Junior Championships	Overall	30
	2020/2021	World Championships	Overall	32
	2019/2020	European Championships	500m	32
	2023/2024	World Championships	1000m	37
	2020/2021	World Championships	1000m	38
	2019/2020	World Junior Championships	1000m	42
	2021/2022	World Championships	1000m	44

World Cups	Year	Competition	Event	Rank
World Cups
	2022/2023	Salt Lake City, UT	1000m	4
	2022/2023	Salt Lake City, UT	1500m	6
	2022/2023	Dresden	1500m	7
	2022/2023	Dresden	1000m	9
	2022/2023	Almaty	1000m	9
	2019/2020	Salt Lake City, UT	5000m Relay	10
	2022/2023	World Cup Classification	1000m	14
	2023/2024	Gdansk	5000m Relay	14
	2023/2024	Dresden	5000m Relay	14
	2018/2019	Dresden	5000m Relay	15
	2019/2020	Dresden	5000m Relay	16
	2022/2023	World Cup Classification	1500m	18
	2023/2024	Gdansk	1000m	19
	2022/2023	Almaty	500m	21
	2019/2020	Dresden	1500m	26
	2019/2020	Dresden	500m	27
	2023/2024	World Cup Classification	1500m	28
	2023/2024	Gdansk	500m	28
	2022/2023	World Cup Classification	Overall	31
	2023/2024	Dresden	1500m	34
	2021/2022	World Cup Classification	1000m	35
	2019/2020	Salt Lake City, UT	500m	43
	2022/2023	Almaty	1500m	43
	2023/2024	World Cup Classification	1000m	46
	2022/2023	Almaty	1000m	46
	2021/2022	World Cup Classification	500m	47
	2023/2024	World Cup Classification	Overall	49
	2023/2024	Dresden	1000m	52
	2021/2022	World Cup Classification	1500m	53
	2019/2020	World Cup Classification	500m	76
	2019/2020	World Cup Classification	1500m	76