{"id":454755,"date":"2020-11-19T04:50:12","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T11:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=454755"},"modified":"2020-11-19T05:06:02","modified_gmt":"2020-11-19T12:06:02","slug":"emre-sakci-on-his-hopes-for-turkish-swimming-switching-to-breaststroke-and-adam-peaty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/emre-sakci-on-his-hopes-for-turkish-swimming-switching-to-breaststroke-and-adam-peaty\/","title":{"rendered":"Emre Sakci On His Hopes For Turkish Swimming, Switching To Breaststroke And The Peaty Effect"},"content":{"rendered":"

Emre Sakci<\/strong> headed home to Izmir<\/strong> from the ISL with words of praise ringing in his ears after he claimed his place at the top table of breaststrokers alongside Adam Peaty<\/strong> and Cameron van der Burgh<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Turkish swimmer left Budapest as the second-fastest man in history over 50m breaststroke in a short-course pool thanks to his time of 25.29 in match seven.<\/p>\n

That is just 0.04secs off Van der Burgh\u2019s world record of 25.25 that has stood since November 2009 and a European mark.<\/p>\n

There was a European record of 55.74 over 100br in match nine – once more eclipsed by only Van der Burgh \u2013 before Peaty became the fastest man in history in the semi-final when he stopped the clock at 55.49.<\/p>\n

Sakci was a consistent powerhouse throughout the season, raking in jackpot points for Team Iron before they were eliminated in the semis.<\/p>\n

There were five 50m first places \u2013 including a victory over Peaty in match two \u2013 and three over 100m.<\/p>\n

By commanding the spotlight on the international stage in Budapest as well as his 50br silver at the 2019 European Short-Course Championships<\/strong>, Sakci hopes there can be a transformative effect in Turkey.<\/p>\n

He told Swimming World:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my country we try to create a swimming culture: we are a coastal country but we don\u2019t have a swimming culture and we don\u2019t have enough swimming pools.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can create a swimming culture we will get better.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
$\"_MineKasapoglu-DSC00608\"$
Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu\/ISL<\/p><\/div>\n
However, while Sakci was making waves in Budapest, he looked on from afar as his home city of Izmir bore the brunt of a devastating earthquake.<\/p>\n
At least 115 people were reported killed with many homes and buildings destroyed and parts of the city of flooded.<\/p>\n
While Sakci\u2019s family were safe, he found it extremely hard to be more than a thousand miles away.<\/a><\/p>\n
Before each session he would write Izmir in big, black letters across his heart and following each race, hoisted himself on to the lane ropes and did the heart gesture with his hands.<\/p>\n
$\"emre-sakci-team-iron\"$
Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu \/ ISL<\/p><\/div>\n
Speaking ahead of the semi-final, he said:<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be honest I get mentally tired because I am here from 11 October and I miss my city and I miss my family and our food and my city is in a very bad situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been very difficult \u2013 absolutely.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank God my family is okay now: but it has been very bad for Izmir and it is still bad.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Where It All Began, Switching To Breaststroke, Tokyo And Adam Peaty<\/h3>\n
Sakci was always a water baby. Such was his love of the water in whatever form at the family home that they took him to swimming lessons when he was three.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen the journey begins,\u201d he says, and although he loved playing other sports, swimming was where his heart lay.<\/p>\n
He had his first competition aged seven and at nine he started training under the stewardship of T\u00fcrker Oktay<\/strong>, a relationship that continues to this day.<\/p>\n
Sakci specialised in freestyle until 2016\/17 when he switched to breaststroke, a move that quickly paid dividends as he finished fifth in the 50br at the 2018 World Short-Course Championships<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
$\"emre-sakci-team-iron\"$
Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu \/ ISL<\/p><\/div>\n
The pair are based in Izmir where he trains in a 25m pool although he often uses the same facilities in Gloria as Energy Standard.<\/p>\n
With a long-course 100br PB of 58.85, Sakci is set to realise his Olympic dream next year in Tokyo.<\/p>\n
And he has eyes only for the water.<\/p>\n
\u201cI studied before and I may return to my studies in the future but now all my focus is on being an Olympian.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd maybe an Olympic semi-finalist or finalist.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
He studies other athletes, learning from each and every one of them, but there has never been room for idols.<\/p>\n
Sacki did point though to Peaty and how he not only has transformed his events, but also the mindset of fellow breaststrokers.<\/p>\n
He said:<\/p>\n
\u201cI have huge respect for him of course. He changed breaststroke, he very much changed breaststroke.<\/p>\n
\u201cBreaststrokers swim these times now because of him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe opened the road for us: he changed every swimmer\u2019s mind.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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