Sunday’s Women’s High Jump finals at the Paris Olympics didn’t generate the result Buse Savaşkan had wanted, but for Turkish Cypriots she remains their hero.
Thousands of people had expressed their pride and joy in her performance on social media ahead of and after Sunday’s final.
Multiple watch parties had been organised in North Cyprus, including one at the Presidency and another in the centre of the capital city Lefkoşa, to watch the 25-year-old athlete from Bostancı village, Güzelyurt, perform live at the Stade de France.
“Buse Savaşkan broadcast the name of the Turkish Cypriot to the world,” President Tatar of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) told the media after the competition concluded.
“We continue our struggle despite the embargoes imposed on [Turkish Cypriot] sports. Buse represented the Turkish Cypriots in the best way. Turkish people have become one body and heart. Buse expressed hope. She gave the message to all youth not to give up on the difficult path. When Buse set out, there were obstacles in front of her, but she achieved her goals. I hope that our athletes will achieve success in athletics and different sports by taking Buse as an example,” the president added.
Pictures from the TRNC Presidency watch party
Cumhurbaşkanı @ErsinrTatar’ın eşi Sibel Tatar himayesinde 2024 Paris Olimpiyatları’nda Kadınlar Yüksek Atlama branşında Türkiye Milli Takımı adına yarışan Buse Savaşkan’ın final yarışını izleme etkinliği düzenlendi https://t.co/30Xkugvt5f pic.twitter.com/hQ2etRifo0
— KKTC Cumhurbaşkanlığı (@KKTCCB) August 4, 2024
Competing for Turkiye due to the political non-recognition of her home country, the TRNC, Buse Savaşkan had a tough journey to the Paris Games, having to overcome multiple hurdles that saw her change nationality to compete abroad, seek financial support, and spend long periods away from her family and friends to allow her to develop as a top class athlete.
Yet Savaşkan persevered and in the months leading up to Paris, her achievements at various major competitions around Europe, where she won gold at the Balkan Games, came sixth in the European Championships, and broke Turkiye’s indoor high jump record that had stood for 22 years, all showed her potential.
It turned the Lefke-born athlete into a sporting icon for her home nation in North Cyprus, with every success not only creating more belief in her abilities, but also in Turkish Cypriots overcoming the unnecessary and unjust international isolation they face in all aspects of life.
On Sunday evening, Savaşkan was one of 13 women who had qualified for the finals of the Women’s High Jump. The stellar line-up included the world record holder Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh, and the silver medallist from the Tokyo Games Nicola Olyslagers (nee Mcdermott) of Australia.
Savaşkan had previously equalled her personal best jump of 1.92 metres in the qualifiers on Friday, displaying the great form she was in. Perhaps it was nerves, but on Sunday she needed two jumps to clear 1.86 metres before bowing out after three failed attempts at 1.91m.
The favourite Mahuchikh took gold having cleared all jumps up to and including 2.00m at the first attempt – 10 cm short of her world record. Olyslagers had also cleared 2.00 but had needed two attempts, pushing her down into second place. Ukraine’s Iryna Gerashchenko and Australia’s Eleanor Patterson shared the bronze, having both cleared all their jumps to 1.95m at the first attempt.
Savaşkan’s performance, finishing in tenth place in Sunday’s final, should see her rise up the World Rankings for Women’s High Jump, where she is currently listed at number 32.
Nevertheless, Savaşkan made Turkish Cypriots around the world incredibly proud and is now 10th in the world in women’s high jump!#TRNC #KKTC pic.twitter.com/4W4dieyVZK
— Y.T.C (@Young_Turk_Cyp) August 5, 2024
