Buse Savaşkan on Paris 2024: "I Kept My Promise to Myself!"

National athlete Buse Savaşkan dedicated her success at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to the Champions Angels. "There is no way to describe this happiness. I participated in the competition that I dreamed of since childhood, I experienced the Olympics, and I kept my promise to myself," she said.

Savaşkan, who aims for a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, declared, "I will take that medal and bring it back to my country."

Buse Savaşkan, who finished tenth in the Olympics with a 1.86m jump in the women's high jump final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, held a press conference.

The meeting took place at the Cyprus Turkish Journalists Association Complex, with the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Athletics Federation Ferhat Sakallı and Secretary General Derya Atamer accompanying Savaşkan.

Young national athletes Erdinç İnçay, Kayla Uysal, and Hatice Asrın Yiğit, along with their families, also attended the press conference.

Savaşkan

National athlete Buse Savaşkan expressed her feelings, saying, "I am very happy; there is no way to describe this happiness. I participated in the competition that I dreamed of since childhood, I saw the Olympics, and fulfilled one of an athlete's biggest dreams," stating that she achieved it and kept her promise to herself.

She described the journey as very challenging, saying, "I went through very tough times, both psychologically, mentally, and physically." Savaşkan, who is pleased and proud of her success after this difficult period, said, "Everyone who was with me and supported me was more aware than I was that I could achieve this."

After her remarks, Buse Savaşkan answered questions from the press.

"I SHOWED THE HIDDEN BUSE INSIDE ME"

In response to the question, "What is your new goal?" Savaşkan replied, "We have the European Championship and the World Championship ahead... We saw that 1.95s received medals. I had a short-term injury and could not train for a month. During this period, even I did not trust myself, but there I showed the hidden Buse inside me."

Savaşkan expressed her desire to finish in the top three at the European and World Championships and noted that her next goal is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

When reminded of Prime Minister Ünal Üstel's promise of financial and moral support, Savaşkan said, "I have felt support since I started this journey; they have helped me a lot. I was already comfortable, but after achieving success and hearing that more would be done than promised, I felt even more at ease."

When asked about any concerns for the future, Buse Savaşkan responded, "We have received assurances. They said a job opportunity would be offered for the future," indicating that completing her schooling this year made the job opportunity particularly important.

In response to another question, Savaşkan stated that the process would continue in cooperation with the TRNC and Turkish Athletics Federations and that her Ukrainian coach believed in her greatly, with four more years of collaboration planned.

OLYMPIC MEMORY: "YOU UNDERESTIMATED ME, BUT I AM HERE NOW"

Buse Savaşkan shared an anecdote from the Olympics, explaining that during the qualifiers, a French athlete gave her a look as if to say, "You can't do it," but then the French athlete knocked the bar off during her jump. When it was her turn, Savaşkan went up to the French athlete after her jump and gave her a look, saying:

"They were always the ones surpassing me. I made myself known to the world and said, 'You underestimated me, but I am here now.' Now the elite athletes in the world know me. Their coaches came up to me after the competition and congratulated me. That is enough pride for me."

Savaşkan also shared that during competitions or warm-ups, she would introduce herself as "North Cyprus" when asked where she was from.

In response to another question, Buse Savaşkan stated that she had not received any congratulations from the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus.

Buse Savaşkan, who felt different after returning to her country following the Paris Olympics, expressed her happiness at the attention she received.

Savaşkan stated that young athletes interested in high jump could come to see her training process, adding, "I hope in the future a TRNC athlete breaks the records I set. We will do our best to make that happen."

In response to the question, "What advice do you have for young people?" Buse Savaşkan replied, "If they set a goal and instill it in themselves, they will act accordingly as they grow up and make sacrifices as needed... The younger generation is very talented, and one of my goals is to train generations like myself."

In response to another question, Buse Savaşkan said that despite her injury, she did her best at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, adding, "I aim for a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and I will take that medal and bring it back to my country."