Gymmin' Miel!: Turkey

2016

2016 Mersin World Challenge Cup Finals Results

After missing her Produnova during the Qualifications, Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan came back strong to take the title at the 2016 Mersin World Challenge Cup. Austria's Lisa Ecker and Colombian Catalina Elena Escobar Gomez finished in second and third respectively. Escobar Gomez picked up the Uneven Bars honor over Turkey's Demet Mutlu and Ecker. Top Balance Beam qualifier Tutya Yilmaz of Turkey took out the title over Chusovitina and Ecker, whilst on the Floor Exercise, Turkey's Goksu Uctas Sanli narrowly earned the gold over Ecker and Escobar Gomez. Turkey's Ferhat Arican narrowly earned the title on the Floor Exercise over Colombian Jossimar Orlando Calvo Moreno and Turkey's Ahmet Onder whilst on the Pommel Horse, Calvo Moreno triumphed over Arican and Jordan's Ahmad Abu Al Soud. Turkey's Ibrahim Colak once again dominated on the Still Rings - winning by 1.450 points over Jossimar Orlando Calvo Moreno. Iran's Reza Farnia finished third. Onder added the Vault gold to his collection topping Hong Kong's Man Hin Jim and Calvo Moreno. Arican narrowly earned the title on the Parallel Bars over Jossimar Orlando Calvo Moreno with Onder in third, with Umit Samiloglu taking out the honors on the Horizontal Bar over Calvo Moreno and Onder. Huge thanks to the Turkey Gymnastics Federation for their live stream of today's Finals and Award Ceremonies.

WOMEN'S VAULT:

Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) (15.600, 15.050) 15.325
Lisa Ecker (AUT) (13.900, 13.600) 13.750
Catalina Elena Escobar Gomez (COL) (13.900, 13.450) 13.675
Demet Mutlu (TUR) (13.950, 13.000) 13.475
Tsz Sum Elizabeth Chan (HKG) (12.550, 13.100) 12.825

WOMEN'S UNEVEN BARS:

Catalina Elena Escobar Gomez (COL) 13.900
Demet Mutlu (TUR) 13.500
Lisa Ecker (AUT) 12.900
Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) 11.600
Tutya Yilmaz (TUR) 9.950
Tsz Sum Elizabeth Chan (HKG) 4.600

WOMEN'S BALANCE BEAM:

Tutya Yilmaz (TUR) 13.900
Oksana Chusovitina (UZB) 13.500
Lisa Ecker (AUT) 13.150
Catalina Elena Escobar Gomez (COL) 12.250
Cagla Altundemir (TUR) 10.900
Tsz Sum Elizabeth Chan (HKG) 9.700

WOMEN'S FLOOR EXERCISE:

Goksu Uctas Sanli (TUR) 13.450
Lisa Ecker (AUT) 13.300
Catalina Elena Escobar Gomez (COL) 13.050
Tutya Yilmaz (TUR) 12.350
Tsz Sum Elizabeth Chan (HKG) 10.250

MEN'S FLOOR EXERCISE:

Ferhat Arican (TUR) 14.350
Jossimar Orlando Calvo Moreno (COL) 14.200
Ahmet Onder (TUR) 14.100
Majdi Al-Hmood (JOR) 13.200
Murad Agharzayev (AZE) 12.700

MEN'S POMMEL HORSE:

Jossimar Orlando Calvo Moreno (COL) 14.850
Ferhat Arican (TUR) 14.500
Ahmad Abu Al Soud (JOR) 13.550
Murad Agharzayev (AZE) 12.450
Adham Alsqour (JOR) 11.650
Isa Hamaratcilar (TUR) 11.600

MEN'S STILL RINGS:

Ibrahim Colak (TUR) 15.550
Jossimar Orlando Calvo Moreno (COL) 14.100
Reza Farnia (IRI) 14.000
Adham Alsqour (JOR) 13.550
Yunus Emre Gundogdu (TUR) 13.400
Majdi Al-Hmood (JOR) 13.250
Murad Agharzayev (AZE) 12.400

MEN'S VAULT:

Ahmet Onder (TUR) (14.550, 14.150) 14.350
Man Hin Jim (HKG) (14.400, 14.050) 14.225
Jossimar Orlando Calvo Moreno (COL) (14.400, 13.650) 14.025
Ferhat Arican (TUR) (13.100, 14.300) 13.700
Daniel Robert Lucas (AZE) (13.350, 14.000) 13.675
Majdi Al-Hmood (JOR) (13.250, 12.950) 13.100
Murad Agharzayev (AZE) (13.800, 12.350) 13.075
Yazan Abandeh (JOR) (13.100, 11.050) 12.075

MEN'S PARALLEL BARS:

Ferhat Arican (TUR) 15.600
Jossimar Orlando Calvo Moreno (COL) 15.500
Ahmet Onder (TUR) 15.050
Majdi Al-Hmood (JOR) 13.700
Adham Alsqour (JOR) 13.650
Reza Farnia (IRI) 13.250

Man Hin Jim (HKG) 13.200
Murad Agharzayev (AZE) 12.700

MEN'S HORIZONTAL BAR:

Umit Samiloglu (TUR) 15.200
Jossimar Orlando Calvo Moreno (COL) 14.950
Ahmet Onder (TUR) 14.350
Adham Alsqour (JOR) 13.250
Yazan Abandeh (JOR) 11.700
Murad Agharzayev (AZE) 11.600

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Best Wishes

Congratulations to the Newlyweds!

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2013

Spain Wins MAG Mediterranean Games Team Title

The Spanish Men's team consisting of Nestor Abad SanJuan, Christian Bazan Jaime, Javier Gomez Fuertes, Fabian Gonzalez Vidal and Ruben Lopez Martinez were triumphant in Mersin, Turkey last night. The Italian contingent (Enrico Pozzo, Paolo Principi, Paolo Ottavi, Ludovico Edalli and Andrea Cingolani) managed to hold off the French team (Kevin Antoniotti, Guillaume Augugliaro, Quentin Signori, Arnaud Willig and Jim Zona) to earn the silver medal at the Mediterranean Games.

MEN'S TEAM FINAL:

Spain (43.532, 42.233, 43.833, 43.932, 44.766, 42.933) 261.229
Italy (43.165, 41.366, 42.665, 43.499, 42.900, 43.233) 256.828
France (42.400, 38.565, 42.099, 42.899, 41.733, 42.765) 250.461
Turkey (41.032, 37.199, 42.999, 41.032, 42.866, 42.166) 247.294
Greece (42.232, 36.365, 42.832, 41.766, 40.698, 39.499) 243.392
Cyprus (39.065, 38.032, 42.066, 41.266, 41.666, 40.266) 242.361
Egypt (38.632, 37.865, 42.766, 40.532, 41.633, 40.766) 242.194

MEN'S ALL AROUND QUALIFICATION:

Fabian Gonzalez Vidal (ESP) (14.766, 14.700, 13.666, 14.900, 14.733, 14.166) 86.931
Javier Gomez Fuertes (ESP) (14.300, 13.900, 14.600, 14.066, 15.233, 14.333) 86.432
Paolo Principi (ITA) (14.766, 13.900, 13.866, 14.500, 13.633, 14.433) 85.098
Paolo Ottavi (ITA) (14.166, 13.733, 14.766, 14.200, 14.100, 14.100) 85.065
Ludovico Edalli (ITA) (14.233, 13.733, 13.600, 14.233, 14.600, 14.200) 84.599
Ferhat Arican (TUR) (14.066, 13.300, 13.966, 14.233, 14.833, 14.033) 84.431
Kevin Antoniotti (FRA) (14.400, 13.666, 13.266, 14.133, 14.400, 14.033) 83.898
Guillaume Augugliaro (FRA) (14.400, 12.733, 14.433, 14.300, 13.833, 14.166) 83.865
Alen Dimic (SLO) (12.833, 13.766, 13.233, 14.500, 14.866, 14.466) 83.664
Enrico Pozzo (ITA) (12.300, 13.533, 14.033, 14.766, 14.200, 14.600) 83.432
Oualid Hacib (ALG) (13.433, 14.200, 13.700, 13.333, 13.733, 12.266) 80.665
Mohamed Sherif El Saharty (EGY) (11.733, 12.766, 14.000, 14.233, 13.900, 13.933) 80.565
Quentin Signori (FRA) (13.600, 12.166, 13.700, 13.700, 13.500, 13.800) 80.466
Hellal Metidji (ALG) (13.833, 13.566, 13.133, 12.700, 13.833, 13.400) 80.465
Panagiotis Aristotelous (CYP) (12.966, 12.066, 14.000, 14.066, 14.066, 13.166) 80.330
Amr Essam Mohamed Ahmed (EGY) (13.633, 12.266, 13.200, 13.433, 14.033, 13.533) 80.098
Xenios Papaevripidou (CYP) (13.033, 13.366, 12.933, 13.500, 13.400, 13.633) 79.865
Baris Pek (TUR) (14.066, 11.533, 13.700, 13.533, 13.633, 12.800) 79.265
Ioannis Tougkas (GRE) (14.033, 11.066. 13.666, 14.033, 13.266, 12.233) 78.297
Michalis Krasias (CYP) (13.066, 12.600, 12.933, 13.700, 12.300, 13.333) 77.932
Charalampos Kailidis (GRE) (13.333, 11.033, 13.066, 13.433, 13.266, 13.533) 77.664
Kevin Crovetto (MON) (12.966, 11.700, 12.966, 13.900, 13.166, 12.700) 77.398
Abdulkadir Bas (TUR) (12.900, 12.366, 12.633, 13.266, 12.700, 12.933) 76.798
Ashraf Nashaat Mostafa (EGY) (13.266, 9.533, 13.533, 12.866, 13.633, 13.300) 76.131
Alon Hasa (ALB) (13.066, 11.100, 12.600, 13.066, 12.433, 12.500) 74.765
Christos Lympanovnos (GRE) (0.000, 12.533, 13.366, 14.300, 14.166, 13.733) 68.098
Ivan Krstevski (MKD) (10.866, 10.300, 12.833, 12.666, 12.200, 0.000) 58.865
Ruben Lopez Martinez (ESP) (0.000, 13.633, 14.900, 0.000, 14.800, 14.200) 57.533
Nestor Abad Sanjuan (ESP) (14.433, 13.400, 0.000, 14.966, 0.000, 14.400) 57.199
Christian Bazan Jaime (ESP) (14.333, 0.000, 14.333, 13.700, 13.933, 0.000) 56.299
Dimitris Krasias (CYP) (12.800, 10.933, 0.000, 0.000, 14.200, 13.300) 51.233
Islam Mohamed Shahin (EGY) (11.400, 12.833, 0.000, 12.400, 13.700, 0.000) 50.333
Eleftherios Petrounias (GRE) (12.800, 12.766, 15.800, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000) 41.366
Eleftherios Kosmidis (GRE) (14.866, 0.000, 0.000, 13.233, 13.133, 0.000) 41.232
Arnaud Willig (FRA) (0.000, 12.100, 13.966, 14.466, 0.000, 0.000) 40.532
Feras Taggazi (LBA) (12.733, 0.000, 0.000, 11.500, 12.066, 0.000) 36.299
Dino Boshnjak (MKD) (10.600, 0.000, 0.000, 12.400, 11.433, 0.000) 34.433
Hicham El Kahwaji (LIB) (10.433, 0.000, 10.300, 10.933, 0.000, 0.000) 31.666
Mohamad Ibrahim Shami (LIB) (11.066, 0.000, 6.466, 13.800, 0.000, 0.000) 31.332
Ibrahim Colak (TUR) (0.000, 0.000, 15.333, 0.000, 14.4000, 0.000) 29.733
Wadji Bouallegue (TUN) (14.900, 0.000, 0.000, 14.266, 0.000, 0.000) 29.166
Jim Zona (FRA) (0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 12.133, 14.566) 26.699
Mohamed Aziz Trabelsi (TUN) (12.266, 0.000, 0.000, 13.600, 0.000, 0.000) 25.866
Ayoub Elburki (LBA) (5.866, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 11.466, 0.000) 17.332
Ali Ramadan Abouelkassem Zahran (EGY) (0.000, 0.000, 15.233, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000) 15.233
Umit Samiloglu (TUR) (0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 15.200) 15.200
Irodotos Georgallas (CYP) (0.000, 0.000, 15.133, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000) 15.133
Marijo Moznik (CRO) (0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 15.100) 15.100
Fadi Bahlawan (SYR) (1.566, 0.000, 13.500, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000) 15.066
Robert Seligman (CRO) (0.000, 14.633, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000) 14.633
Saso Bertoncelj (SLO) (0.000, 14.433, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000) 14.433
Wissem Harzi (TUN) (0.000, 13.466, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000) 13.466
Andrea Cingolani (ITA) (0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000) 0.000

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2013

Ferrari and Gomez Fuertes top All Arounders at Mediterranean Games

Italian mainstay Vanessa Ferrari triumphed in the Women's All Around final at the Mediterranean Games which are being hosted in Mersin, Turkey. Spain's Maria Paula Vargas Mota earned second place with Frenchwoman Valentine Sabatou earning the bronze medal. Spain's Roxana Daniela Popa Nedelcu did not compete due to injury. Spain's Javier Gomez Fuertes won the Men's All Around title over team mate Fabian Gonzalez Vidal and Guillaume Augugliaro of France.

WOMEN'S ALL AROUND:

Vanessa Ferrari (ITA) (13.866, 13.700, 14.266, 14.366) 56.198
Maria Paula Vargas Mota (ESP) (14.233, 13.600, 13.633, 13.566) 55.032
Valentine Sabatou (FRA) (13.833, 13.366, 13.666, 13.500) 54.365
Giorgia Campana (ITA) (13.766, 13.733, 14.066, 12.700) 54.265
Maelys Plessis (FRA) (13.600, 11.633, 13.400, 13.133) 51.766
Nancy Mohamed Taman (EGY) (13.566, 11.200, 12.766, 11.266) 48.798
Demet Mutlu (TUR) (13.100, 11.366, 11.800, 12.466) 48.732
Farida Ahmed Shokry (EGY) (12.366, 10.133, 12.400, 12.466) 47.365
Maria Simou (GRE) (12.200, 11.366, 10.900, 11.566) 46.032
Carmen Astrid Horvat (SLO) (11.300, 11.100, 12.000, 10.700) 45.100
Sema Fidel Aslan (TUR) (12.633, 10.033, 11.133, 11.266) 45.065
Tina Ribic (SLO) (13.066, 9.100, 11.300, 10.966) 44.432
Maria Trichopoulou (GRE) (12.500, 9.400, 10.066, 11.200) 43.166
Rafaella Zannettou (CYP) (12.433, 9.233, 10.400, 11.066) 43.132

MEN'S ALL AROUND:

Javier Gomez Fuertes (ESP) (14.766, 13.466, 14.633, 14.900, 14.533, 14.666) 86.964
Fabian Gonzalez Vidal (ESP) (14.933, 14.233, 13.400, 15.233, 14.766, 14.000) 86.565
Guillaume Augugliaro (FRA) (14.566, 13.533, 14.066, 14.533, 14.666, 14.166) 85.530
Paolo Principi (ITA) (14.633, 13.933, 13.900, 14.400, 13.900, 14.633) 85.399
Kevin Antoniotti (FRA) (14.233, 13.666, 13.400, 14.233, 14.866, 14.500) 84.898
Ferhat Arican (TUR) (14.100, 13.466, 14.133, 14.633, 14.666, 13.600) 84.598
Paolo Ottavi (ITA) (12.966, 13.500, 14.366, 14.133, 13.700, 14.066) 82.731
Amr Essam Mohamed Ahmed (EGY) (14.166, 13.033, 13.433, 13.533, 14.166, 13.100) 81.431
Panagiotis Aristotelous (CYP) (13.500, 12.766, 12.866, 14.200, 13.766, 14.000) 81.098
Xenios Papaevripidou (CYP) (13.133, 13.433, 12.866, 13.633, 13.933, 13.600) 80.598
Mohamed Sherif El Saharty (EGY) (13.866, 12.933, 13.566, 13.333, 12.966, 13.600) 80.264
Charalampos Kailidis (GRE) (13.833, 13.400, 12.366, 13.433, 13.533, 13.533) 80.098
Baris Pek (TUR) (14.133, 12.600, 12.933, 13.700, 13.466, 12.766) 79.598
Hellal Metidji (ALG) (10.800, 13.233, 12.800, 13.833, 14.000, 13.433) 78.099
Ioannis Tougkas (GRE) (11.533, 12.600, 13.566, 13.966, 12.800, 12.533) 76.998
Alon Hasa (ALB) (13.033, 12.933, 12.866, 13.200, 12.766, 12.166) 76.964

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2013

Event Finals in Mersin

Women's Vault Podium (Image courtesy of Italian Gymnastics Federation)

Okay so I have quite a few events to catch up on. Firstly the Artistic Gymnastics competition at the 2013 Mediterranean Games has concluded with the Event Finals. Egypt's Fadwa Mohamed Abdellatif Mahmoud earned a well deserved gold medal on the Vault with Frenchwoman Johanna Cano and Italian Giulia Leni rounding out the top three. Italians earned the remaining three Women's Event Titles with Chiara Gandolfi, Giorgia Campana and Vanessa Ferrari earning the Uneven Bars, Balance Beam and Floor Exercise titles respectively. Spain's Maria Paula Vargas Mota and Campana won the silver and bronze medals respectively on the Uneven Bars. On the Balance Beam, it was Vasiliki Millousi of Greece who won the silver over Vanessa Ferrari with Valentine Sabatou of France and Elisabetta Preziosa of Italy earning the remaining medals on the Floor Exercise.

Greece superstars Eleftherios Kosmidis and Eleftherios Petrounias won the Floor Exercise and Still Rings titles respectively. This was Kosmidis' second consecutive Floor Exercise title at the Mediterranean Games having won the honor in 2009. Spaniard Fabian Gonzalez Vidal and Tunisia's Wadji Bouallegue won the silver and bronze medals on the apparatus. Saso Bertoncelj of Slovenia triumphed on the Pommel Horse over Croatia's Robert Seligman and Gonzalez Vidal. Petrounias dominated on the Still Rings with Turkey's own Ibrahim Colak and Spain's Javier Gomez Fuertes finishing in second and third. Spain's Nestor Abad Sanjuan was the Vault winner with Italian Paolo Principi and Bouallegue concluding the top three places. Kevin Antoniotti of France won the Parallel Bars title over Ruben Lopez Martinez of Spain and Ferhat Arican of Turkey while on the Horizontal Bar, Umit Samiloglu won the honors over Croatian Marijo Moznik who earned silver and Italy's Enrico Pozzo who took the bronze.

WOMEN'S VAULT:

Fadwa Mohamed Abdellatif Mahmoud (EGY) (14.500, 14.000) 14.250
Johanna Cano (FRA) (13.933, 13.300) 13.616
Giulia Leni (ITA) (13.866, 13.333) 13.599
Demet Mutlu (TUR) (13.500, 13.433) 13.466
Nancy Mohamed Taman (EGY) (13.400, 13.300) 13.350
Teja Belak (SLO) (12.933, 13.633) 13.283
Rafaella Zannettou (CYP) (13.166, 12.633) 12.899
Tina Ribic (SLO) (12.933, 12.466) 12.699

WOMEN'S UNEVEN BARS:

Chiara Gandolfi (ITA) 14.200
Maria Paula Vargas Mota (ESP) 14.100
Giorgia Campana (ITA) 13.700
Valentine Sabatou (FRA) 13.533
Roxana Daniela Popa Nedelcu (ESP) 13.300
Maelys Plessis (FRA) 13.066
Mai Ahmed Saaed (EGY) 10.300
Vasiliki Millousi (GRE) 5.500

WOMEN'S BALANCE BEAM:

Giorgia Campana (ITA) 14.533
Vasiliki Millousi (GRE) 14.200
Vanessa Ferrari (ITA) 14.166
Valentine Sabatou (FRA) 14.066
Maelys Plessis (FRA) 13.133
Maria Paula Vargas Mota (ESP) 12.066
Ozlem Ozkan (TUR) 12.000
Nancy Mohamed Taman (EGY) 11.133

WOMEN'S FLOOR EXERCISE:

Vanessa Ferrari (ITA) 13.900
Valentine Sabatou (FRA) 13.200
Elisabetta Preziosa (ITA) 13. 166
Sasa Golob (SLO) 12.866
Farida Ahmed Shokry (EGY) 12.600
Maria Paula Vargas Mota (ESP) 12.433
Vasiliki Millousi (GRE) 11.933
Maelys Plessis (FRA) 11.500

MEN'S FLOOR EXERCISE:

Eleftherios Kosmidis (GRE) 15.366
Fabian Gonzalez Vidal (ESP) 14.733
Wadji Bouallegue (TUN) 14.566
Guillaume Augugliaro (FRA) 14.533
Kevin Antoniotti (FRA) 14.400
Nestor Abad Sanjuan (ESP); Paolo Principi (ITA) 14.166
Ludovico Edalli (ITA) 13.266

MEN'S POMMEL HORSE:

Saso Bertoncelj (SLO) 15.266
Robert Seligman (CRO) 15.100
Fabian Gonzalez Vidal (ESP) 14.833
Paolo Principi (ITA) 14.766
Ludovico Edalli (ITA) 14.333
Alen Dimic (SLO) 13.733
Oualid Hacib (ALG) 13.400
Javier Gomez Fuertes (ESP) 12.600

MEN'S STILL RINGS:

Eleftherios Petrounias (GRE) 15.700
Ibrahim Colak (TUR) 15.133
Javier Gomez Fuertes (ESP) 14.866
Ali Ramadan Abouelkassem Zahran (EGY); Ruben Lopez Martinez (ESP) 14.833
Irodotos Georgallas (CYP) 14.800
Paolo Ottavi (ITA) 14.766
Guillaume Augugliaro (FRA) 14.033

MEN'S VAULT:

Nestor Abad Sanjuan (ESP) (14.933, 14.733) 14.833
Paolo Principi (ITA) (14.500, 14.666) 14.583
Wadji Bouallegue (TUN) (14.266, 14.566) 14.416
Fabian Gonzalez Vidal (ESP) (13.666, 14.400) 14.033
Ferhat Arican (TUR) (13.766, 13.766) 13.766
Mohamed Sherif El Saharty (EGY) (14.166, 13.200) 13.683
Mohamed Azaiez Trabelsi (TUN) (13.433, 13.766) 13.599
Eleftherios Kosmidis (GRE) (13.033, 13.400) 13.216

MEN'S PARALLEL BARS:

Kevin Antoniotti (FRA) 15.033
Ruben Lopez Martinez (ESP) 15.000
Ferhat Arican (TUR) 14.866
Ibrahim Colak (TUR) 14.700
Ludovico Edalli (ITA); Alen Dimic (SLO) 14.666
Dimitris Krasias (CYP) 14.400
Javier Gomez Fuertes (ESP) 13.666

MEN'S HORIZONTAL BAR:

Umit Samiloglu (TUR) 15.366
Marijo Moznik (CRO) 15.166
Enrico Pozzo (ITA) 14.866
Jim Zona (FRA) 14.666
Nestor Abad Sanjuan (ESP) 14.500
Paolo Principi (ITA) 14.266
Javier Gomez Fuertes (ESP) 14.200
Alen Dimic (SLO) 14.033

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2012

Uctas Set to Make Turkish History

Turkey's Goksu Uctas will make history come the 2012 London Olympic Games, when she becomes the country's first ever gymnast to participate in the Olympics. A lovely article on her has emerged on The Star Online. Really lovely to see her gaining recognition for her achievement and to be able to learn more about her! See a copy of the article below and at the link here.

So excited was Goksu Uctas at the thought of becoming Turkey's first Olympic gymnast, she wanted the five Olympic rings tattooed on her arm.For now, though, the London-bound athlete has settled for a silver necklace of the famous symbol, which she twirls excitedly in her fingers.
While Turkey excels at wrestling and weightlifting -- the nation's men and women have won 67 Olympic medals in the sports -- never before has a gymnast participated at the Games in Turkey's red and white national colours.
"All you really need is faith in yourself," the 22-year-old gymnast told Reuters in her dormitory room.
Uctas' Olympic achievement is all the more noteworthy given that as a nine-year-old -- a vital stage in a gymnast's development -- she survived a catastrophic earthquake which struck north-west Turkey in 1999.
That earthquake killed around 17,000 people and left hundreds of thousand others homeless, including her family.
"We lived in a tent for a year, in constant fear because of aftershocks," Uctas said. "But I never stopped training, even when the gym was being rebuild, I trained outdoors and remained focused on practising as much as I could."
Pinned up on Uctas' wall is a pencil drawing she made for motivation and inspiration, of her heroine Svetlana Khorkina, Russia's Olympic gold winner. Uctas has a talent for drawing, and loves sketching gymnasts, as a way of relaxing after her taxing physical training.
OIL WRESTLERS
Turks have attended all the summer Olympics since 1908 bar three, but have won medals in only six sports.
"Turkey's policy in sports investment has been based on medals, and the budget for sport has always been distributed according to success," Professor Settar Kocak of Middle East Technical University, who teaches philosophy and history of sports, told Reuters.
"The money has always been invested in sports of most public interest, like wrestling, that Turks have been fond of for a thousand years," Kocak said.
Oil-wrestling, where the wrestlers cover themselves in olive oil and wrestle in open air on grass, is hugely popular in Turkey and some former Olympic wrestlers practice it after retiring.
An annual oil-wrestling festival in Turkey's northwestern province Edirne draw tens of thousands of spectators each year.
Turkey has bid to host the 2020 Olympics in Istanbul and is one of three cities in the running along with Tokyo and Madrid.
Certainly Uctas' qualification will help broaden the Games' appeal among her compatriots.
Uctas and her coach Mergul Guler were meticulous in their studying of the routines and the skills she would need to master to have a chance of competing.
"I went through so many regulations material on the internet to find out how to qualify for the Games. The reason why no Turkish gymnast ever went to the Olympics so far is not incompetence, it's just that no-one actually believed it could happen, and therefore never found out how to," Guler, a former gymnast herself, said in disbelief.
Uctas and her coach have modest hopes for now.
"The goal at the Olympics? Going there was the goal. But making it to the finals would be incredible," Guler said.

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Gymmin' Miel!

2016 Mersin World Challenge Cup Finals Results

Congratulations to the Newlyweds!

Spain Wins MAG Mediterranean Games Team Title

Ferrari and Gomez Fuertes top All Arounders at Mediterranean Games

Event Finals in Mersin

Uctas Set to Make Turkish History

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