Barkan Cem Aykut, a student at Near East College, broke two long-course records in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) at the School Sports  Youth Swimming A Turkey Championship held in Şanlıurfa.

Barkan Cem Aykut, a student from Near East College, returned from the School Sports Youth Swimming A Turkey Championship held in Şanlıurfa with records. Training at the Near East University Olympic Swimming Pool, which is also the only long-course pool in the TRNC, Barkan Cem Aykut competed in the 50, 100, and 200-meter breaststroke categories. Aykut, who finished eighth in Turkey in the 100 and 200-meter categories, broke the TRNC school sports long-course records in both events.

At the championship held at the 11 April Olympic Swimming Pool in Şanlıurfa, Near East College athlete Akman Tüzünkan competed in the 400-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter butterfly, and 100-meter freestyle events.

Barkan Cem Aykut, a Near East College student who has been swimming at the Near East University Olympic Swimming Pool since childhood ages, finished 8th in Turkey in the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke events, and also attracted attention with the TRNC records he broke. Aykut renewed the TRNC school sports long course records with times of 02:34.94 in the 200-meter breaststroke and 01:09.19 in the 100-meter breaststroke.

Avni Cankurt: “Every training session and every competition held in the Olympic pool advances the physical capabilities and competition experience of our young athletes.”

Avni Cankurt, the director of the Near East University Olympic Swimming Pool, which prepares athletes for competitions, stated that the achieved results are the outcome of a systematic and disciplined preparation process. Emphasizing that training in an Olympic-standard facility provides significant benefits to the athletes, Cankurt said, “Every training session and every competition in long-course conditions advances the physical capabilities and competition experience of our young athletes.” Avni Cankurt added that the aim of the Near East University Olympic Swimming Pool is to provide these opportunities to more athletes and to create a sustainable culture of success in swimming.