Demet Parlak

Demet Parlak
Personal information
Nationality TUR
Born (1990-01-01) 1 January 1990
Pınarlı, Çamoluk, Giresun, Turkey
Sport
SportAthletics
Event
Pole vault
ClubFenerbahçe Athletics
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Turkey
Islamic Solidarity Games
2025 Riyadh Pole vault
2021 Konya Pole vault
2017 Baku Pole vault
Balkan Championships
2025 Volos Pole vaılt
2020 Cluj-Napoca Pole vaılt
2016 Pitești Pole vaılt
Balkan Indoor Championships
2024 Istanbul Pole vault
2022 Istanbul Pole vault
2016 Istanbul Pole vault
2014 Istanbul Pole vault
European Champion Clubs Cup
2016 Mersin Pole vault NR

Demet Parlak (born 1 January 1990) is a Turkish pole vaulter.

Early years

Inspired by the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she watched in the television, Parlak decided to start performing athletics. In 2010, she began training. However, her parents opposed t her sport activity in athletics with the argument that she would neglect her education. Continuing in athletics, she told her family that she had quit athletics, but was selected to the school's basketball team. After being successful in her age category and also in the senior category, as well as breaking records, her parents changed their mind and agreed to her sport in athletics. With the support of her parents, she entered Olympics Preparation Center of Adana, where she was coached by the Ukrainian Oleksondr Smakin and Turkish İbrahim Halil Aydın.[1]

Sport career

Parlak is a member of Fenerbahçe Athletics.[2]

In 2015, she set a new national indoor U23 and senior women record with 4.25 m at the Istanbul Championships.[1]

She won her country's first gold medal in the pole vault event at the 2016 Balkan Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.[3] The same year at the |2016 European Champion Clubs Cup in Mersin, Turkey , she won the silver medal, and set a new Turkish record with 4.30 m in the women's U23 and seniors category.[4] She also took the silver medal at the Balkan Championships in Pitești, Romania.[5]

She won the gold medal at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaijan.[2]

She took the bronze medal at the 2020 Balkan Championships in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.[6]

In 2022, at the postponed 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games in Konya, Turkey, she became gold medalist.[7]

She took the silver medal at the 2025 Balkan Championships in Volos, Greece.[8] She competed at the Athletics at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,[9] and won the gold medal.[10][11]

Personal life

Demet Parlak was born in Pınarlı village of Çamoluk District in Giresun Province as the second child of three to Cemil Parlak,[11] on 1 January 1990.[12] She moved to Adana with her family due to her father's profession.[11]

International competition

Year Competition Venue Position Result Notes
Representing  Turkey
2013 World Youth Championships Donetsk, Uktaine 15th Q 3.75 m
2014 Balkan Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey 2nd 3.90 m
Mediterranean U23 Championships Aubagne, France 4th 3.86 m
European Team Championships Super League] Braunschweig, Germany 10th 360 m
World Junior Championships Eugene, Oregon, USA 11th 3.90 m
2016 Balkan Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey 1st 4.20 m
European Champion Clubs Cup Mersin, Turkey 2nd 4.30 m NR
Balkan Championships Pitești, Romania 2nd 3.80 m
2017 Islamic Solidarity Games Baku, Azerbaijan 1st 4.15 m
European U23 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 12th 4.00 m
2018 Mediterranean Games Tarragona, Spain 9th 4.01 m
2020 Balkan Championships Cluj-Napoca, Romania 3rd 4.10 m
2022 Balkan Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey 3rd 4.20 m
Islamic Solidarity Games Konya, Turkey 1st 4.00 m
2024 Balkan Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey 3rd 4.20 m
2025 European Team Championships Second Division Maribor, Slovenia June 6th 4.00 m
Balkan Championships Volos, Greece 2nd 4.15 m
Islamic Solidarity Games Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 1st 4.06 m

References

  1. ^ a b "Ailesinden habersiz antrenmana gitti Türkiye rekoru kırdı". Kar TV (in Turkish). 26 March 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Demek Parlak Altın Madalya Kazandı" (in Turkish). Fenerbahçe Sğpr Kulübü. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  3. ^ "Demet Parlak'tan tarihi zafer". Eurosport (in Turkish). 27 February 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  4. ^ "Demet Parlak'tan bir rekor daha". Sabah (in Turkish). 2 June 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  5. ^ "Türkiye 69. Balkan Şampiyonası'nı 1. bitirdi". Anadolu News Agency (in Turkish). 26 June 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  6. ^ "Büyükler Balkan Atletizm Şampiyonası'nda Madalya Yağmuru!" (in Turkish). Enka Spor Kulübü. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  7. ^ "Vadinin Gururu Türkiye'nin Altın Sporcusu Demet Parlak Adını Tarihe Yazdırdı". Çampluk Haber (in Turkish). 9 August 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  8. ^ "Balkan Şampiyonası'nda ilk gün 10 madalya!" (in Turkish). Türkiye Atletizm Federasyonu. 27 July 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  9. ^ Çakmak, Fatih (4 November 2025). "Türkiye, 6. İslami Dayanışma Oyunları'nda 212 sporcuyla yer alacak". Anadolu News Agency (in Turkish). Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  10. ^ "Demet Parlak'tan Sırıkla Atlama Altını Riyad'da Geldi". Milli Fanatikler (in Turkish). 20 November 2025. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  11. ^ a b c "Hedefim Rekor Kırmaktı". Günaydın (in Turkish). 20 November 2025. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  12. ^ "Athletes - Athletics - Türkiye - Alara Atmaca". Islamic Solidarity Games. Retrieved 28 November 2025.