Erol Bilgin

Erol Bilgin
Personal information
NationalityTurkish
Born (1987-02-20) 20 February 1987
Kütahya, Turkey
Height1.58 m (5.2 ft)
Weight62 kg (137 lb)
Sport
Country Turkey
SportWeightlifting
Weight class–62 kg
ClubTarım Kredi S.K.
Coached byHilmi Pekünlü
Retiredyes
Medal record
Men's weightlifting
Representing  Turkey
World Championships
2010 Antalya 62 kg
European Championships
2009 Bucharest 62 kg
2010 Minsk 62 kg
2005 Sofia 62 kg
2008 Lignano Sabbiadoro 62 kg
2007 Strasbourg 62 kg
Mediterranean Games
2009 Pescara 62 kg S
2009 Pescara 62 kg C
2018 Tarragona 62 kg S
2018 Tarragona 62 kg C
World University Championships
2006 İzmir 62 kg
World Junior Championships
2004 Minsk 56 kg
European Junior Championships
2004 Burgas 56 kg
European U17 Championships
2004 Stavanger 56 kg
European U16 Championships
2002 Villeneuve 45 kg

Erol Bilgin (born 20 February 1987) is a Turkish former weightlifter who competed in the 62 kg category. A two-time European champion and 2010 World bronze medalist.[1]

Career

Bilgin was born in Kütahya, Turkey. He began lifting in 1998 at the Kütahya Gençlik Merkezi Sports Club and moved to Tarım Kredi S.K. in 2000. He was coached by Hilmi Pekünlü.[2]

He achieved his first major international title at the 2004 European Junior Weightlifting Championships in Burgas, winning gold. He later became European Youth and Under-16 Champion, and in 2010 won bronze at the 2010 World Weightlifting Championships in Antalya, lifting 143 kg in snatch and 171 kg in clean & jerk (314 kg total).[3]

Bilgin ranked 8th at the 2012 London Olympics,[4] but in 2020 the International Olympic Committee announced his disqualification after re-analysis of his 2012 samples detected Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (Oral Turinabol) and Stanozolol.[5]

He also represented Turkey at the 2008 European Weightlifting Championships in Lignano Sabbiadoro, lifting 135 kg in snatch and 160 kg in clean & jerk for 295 kg total and a silver medal.[6]

Bilgin’s consecutive gold medals at the 2009 Bucharest and 2010 Minsk European Championships established him among the best lightweight lifters of the late 2000s.[7]

Major results

Year Venue Weight Snatch (kg) Clean & Jerk (kg) Total Rank
1 2 3 Rank 1 2 3 Rank
Olympic Games
2012 London, United Kingdom 62 kg 135 139 140 7 165 165 169 8 300 DQ
World Championships
2010 Antalya, Turkey 62 kg 140 142 143 168 171 174 314
European Championships
2010 Minsk, Belarus 62 kg 137 138 139 162 164 165 304
2009 Bucharest, Romania 62 kg 131 133 133 156 158 160 293
2008 Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy 62 kg 133 134 135 158 159 160 295
2007 Strasbourg, France 62 kg 126 127 128 155 156 158 276
2005 Sofia, Bulgaria 56 kg 118 119 120 143 144 145 265
Mediterranean Games
2018 Tarragona, Spain 62 kg 120 125 127 155 165 169 290
World University Championships
2006 İzmir, Turkey 62 kg 120 123 125 158 160 162 285
World Junior Championships
2004 Minsk, Belarus 56 kg 113 115 117 133 135 137 250
European Junior Championships
2004 Burgas, Bulgaria 56 kg 110 112 112.5 142 143 145 257.5
European U17 Championships
2004 Stavanger, Norway 56 kg 108 110 112 133 134 135 245
European U16 Championships
2002 Villeneuve-Loubet, France 45 kg 75 77.5 80 100 102.5 105 180

References

  1. ^ "IOC sanctions one athlete for failing anti-doping tests at London 2012". Olympic.org. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Erol Bilgin Biography" (in Turkish). Governorate of Kütahya. Retrieved 12 April 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ^ "2010 World Championships Results". International Weightlifting Federation. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  4. ^ "Erol Bilgin – Athlete Bio". NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 4 November 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  5. ^ "IOC sanctions one athlete for failing anti-doping tests at London 2012". International Olympic Committee. 27 August 2020. Archived from the original on 28 August 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  6. ^ "European Weightlifting Championships 2008 – Official Results" (PDF). European Weightlifting Federation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  7. ^ "Erol Bilgin wins European Championship". Hürriyet Daily News. 6 April 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2025.