Esma Gökülü
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| Nationality | Turkish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2005 (age 20–21) Turkey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Judoka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 63 kg (139 lb) (2012) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Turkey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Judo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | Deaf | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | -63 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Konya Metroploitan Municipality SK | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Updated on 7 October 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Esma Gökülü (born 2005) is a Turkish female judoka who competes in the -63 kg division.
Sport career
Gökülü got interested in judo in the third grade of primary school, and joined judo course at summer school during the vacation. She has been performing judo since 2012 with the support of her family. She is a member of Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club in her hometown,[1] at which she wears the 3rd dan black belt.[2]
She won a bronze medal at the 2021 World Deaf Judo Championships in Paris, France.[1][3] She competed in the -63 kg event at the Deaflympics of 2021 in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, which was held in 2022, and 2025 in Tokyo, Japan.[4] In the -63 kg event, she won the silver medal at the 2021 Deaflympic,[5] and a bronze medal at the 2025 Deaflympics.[4][6] She took another bronze medal in the team event of the 2025 Tokyo Deaflympics,[4][7] with her teammates Buse Tıraş, Elif Gülşen, Bircan Altuntaş, Ayşe Beril Boyacı and Yadigar Talayhan.[8]
In 2022, four months after the Deaflympics in Brazil, she suffered anterior cruciate ligament rupture, and had undergone surgery. In 2024, she again suffered an injury of the same type. She, however, postponed a surgery in order to compete at the 2025 Tokyo Deaflympics,[1] where she was able to step up to the podium twice.[4]
Personal life
Born in 2005,[4] Esma Gökülü is a native of [[Konya, central Turkey.[1] She completely lost hearing in the left ear and had 50% hearing in the right ear due to a seizure she suffered as a child.[1]
She graduated from the Aliya İzzetbegoviç Anadolu High School in Selçuklu, Konya.[3] As of 2025, she is a student of sports coaching in the third year at Selçuk University.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Güler, Savaş (1 December 2025). "İşitme engelli judocu Esma Gökülü sakatlığına rağmen olimpiyat madalyası kazanmayı başardı". Anadolu News Agency (in Turkish). Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ "Esma Gökülü" (in Turkish). Türkiye Judo Federasyonu. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Dünya 3.'sü Esma GÖKÜLÜ" (in Turkish). Konya/Selçuklu - Aliya İzzetbegoviç Anadolu Lisesi. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "Esma Gokulu". Deaflympics. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ "Esma Gökulu'dan gümüş madalya". TRT Spor (in Turkish). 4 May 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ "Deaflympics'te 5 Madalya!" (in Turkish). Türkiye Judo Federasyonu. 17 November 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ Şahan, Salih Ulaş (25 November 2025). "Milli sporcular, 2025 İşitme Engelliler Yaz Olimpiyat Oyunları'nda 26 madalya kazandı". Anadolu News Agency (in Turkish). Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ "Ay-yıldızlı judocular Deaflympics'i 6 madalya ile tamamladı". Demirören News Agency (in Turkish). 18 November 2025. Retrieved 20 January 2026.