Naz Arıcı (born 29 July 1982) is a Turkish figure skater who competes at adult figure skating competitions. She has several champions titles in free skating events at domestic and international level. She studied electrical/electronics engineering, and worked as an engineer before she quit her profession at the age of 34 to devote herself completely to ice skating she had started five years prior. She paved the way to adult figure skating in Turkey. Arıcı is dubbed the "Golden Swan" in her country.
| Naz Arıcı | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 29 July 1982 Ankara, Turkey | ||||||||
| Figure skating career | |||||||||
| Country |  Turkey | ||||||||
| Coach | Timuçin Özbükücü | ||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
editNaz Arıcı was born to teacher parents in Ankara, Turkey on 29 July 1982.[1][2] She grew up with the awareness of how important work and discipline are in life. She stated that "In our family, success means a lot to us".[3]
She studied electrical/electronic engineering at Atılım University in Ankara,[4] and after graduation she worked as an engineer in a company.[2]
After her best friend, who she grew up with like a twin, died, Arıcı went through a long period of depression. She made a list of the things she loved in order to hold on to life. One day, while sitting in the stands of an ice rink in Ankara, she made the decision that changed her life forever. At the age of 29, she started with ice skating. She had no sports background, her parents did not have such a vision, and did not have the financial means.[3]
When Arıcı first started ice skating, her only aim was to learn how to skate a little, and improve. She enjoyed skating step by step on the ice. Let alone achieving such success, she was not even sure that she would continue for a long time. While working in corporate life, it was just a hobby she was involved in, and she did not even feel the need to tell her family. Later, when she progressed and started to spend more time on it, her family could not understand it either.[3]
Daughter of a strict, disciplined deputy school director mother who has rules, Arıcı had a successful education, and graduated with honors, worked for ten years, including the time in the university.[3] She then quit her job in 2016,[5] which was an unbearable situation for the mother. The common thought of Arıcı's close circle was that she was wasting time and money. She was 34 years old, and her family did not like that she was so interested in a sport, especially ice skating, where injuries are very common. According to them, ice skating, and all sports, were activities that should be started at a young age. Therefore, she received very unpleasant reactions.[3]
Sport career
editArıcı started ice skating from scratch in 2011 at the age of 29.[1][2][3] She tried to learn ice skating by studying videos on the internet,[5] before she took lessons by the coaches Timuçin Özbükücü, whom she met during a public ice skating session,[5] and Duygu Salur.[1]
Her exercise with her coach and the teammates starts with gymnastics at 6:30 hours in the morning. After doing it for about two hours, she gets ready for skating on the ice. Following the ice skating exercise, the conditioning training starts. Performing gymnastics, dance or ballet again are on the daily plan after rest at home. During the competition period, night training is performed for costume rehearsa lasting until the next morningl hours. She lives isolated from the surroundings during this time.[3]
She is a member of the Yenimahalle Municipality Sports Club in Ankara.[6][7] When the Olympic ice rink in Ankara closed, she temporarily settled in Erzurum, where she had never been to before, in order to continue with her exercise.[5]
She is referred to as "Altın Kuğu", the "Golden Swan", by her teammates, especially her coach Özbükücü, and the ice skating community.[1][7]
2015
editBefore going to her first international competition, her left knee was injured and a toe of her right foot was broken.[5]
In May 2015 at the age of 32, she participated as the first Turkish sportswoman at an international adult figure skating competition. She competed in the Bronze Ladies I Free Skating (FS) event, which is the age range category of 28–37 years old, at the Adult Figure Skating Competition organized by the International Skating Union (ISU) and held in Oberstdorf, Germany. She became champion with 34.67 points among 35 competitors from 15 countries.[1][2][5][8][9]
2016
editWith her success in 2015, she paved the way to adult figure skating in her country,[1][3] and so the adult figure skating branch was established by the Turkish Ice Skating Federation in 2016. She has won all Turkish championships since then.[3]
In June 2016, she took the first title again in the same event at the competition in Oberstdorf, Germeny with 41.19 points among 36 participants from 12 countries.[1][2][10][11] The second Turkish female adult figure skater İpek Yaprak Arca took part at that competition internationally also for the first time.[11]
Promoted to the Silver I FS category, she repeated her champions title at the ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in August/September that year with 35.75 points among nine participants from six countries.[1][12]
2017
editIn May 2017, Arıcı competed in the Silver I FS event at the ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition in Oberstdorf, Germany. She became champion with a record score of 58.01 points among 22 figure skaters from 15 countries.[1][2][6][13][14]
2018
editPromoted to the Gold I category, she took part in the Free Skating event at the 2018 International Adult Competition in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, she and became runners-up with 42.27 points among nine participants from three countries.[1][2][15]
2019
editIn May 2019, she competed in the Gold I FS event at the ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition in Oberstdorf, Germany. She failed for the first time to win a medal, and ranked sixth with 45.57 points among 13 competitors from ten countries.[16]
She became the four-time consecutive Turkish champion in Adult Figure Skating in 2019.[6]
At the Swan Challenge 2019 in Bled, Slovenia, she won a gold medal in the Single Ladies Free Skating Gold I event with 40.77 points before the Swedish competitor.[1][2][6][17]
She took also a silver medal in the Single Ladies Artistic Free Skating Gold YA+I event at the same competition with 18.67 points among three competitors from three counties.[1][2][18]
She was entitled to compete at the 2020 Winter World Masters Games, which is held every four years, as the first and only sportsperson from Turkey.[6]
2022
editNow 39 years old, she was placed in the Gold II FS category, which is for the age group of 38–47 years old. In May 2022, she participated at the ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition in Oberstdorf, Germany. She failed for the second time to win a medal, and ranked sixth with 45.63 points among 12 competitors from seven countries.[19]
2023
editShe competed at the 2023 ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition in Oberstdorf, Germeny in May, and captured the gold medal with 55.69 points among 17 participants from 13 countries.[1][2][20]
2024
editIn January 2024, Arıcı competed in the Gold II FS event at the Winter World Masters Games in Lombardy, Italy, and captured the gold medal with 51.22 points among 21 competitors from nine countries.[7][21][22]
She won the silver medal in the Gold II FS event at the 2024 ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition in Oberstdorf, Germany in May with 52.16 points among 13 participants from ten countries.[23]
In May 2024, she became Turkish championin the Adult II event at the Figure Skating Youth Cup in Samsun.[21]
International competition record
edit| Year | Date | Place | Competition | Event | Rank | Score | No. of competitors/no. of countries | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 18–23 May | Oberstdorf, Germany | ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition | Bronze I FS |  |
34.67 | 35/15 | [8] |
| 2016 | 13–18 June | Oberstdorf, Germany | ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition | Bronze I FS | |
41.19 | 36/12 | [10] |
| 29 August–3 September | Vancouver, Canada | ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition | Silver I FS | |
35.75 | 9/6 | [12] | |
| 2017 | 22–27 May | Oberstdorf, Germany | ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition | Silver I FS | |
58.01 | 22/15 | [13] |
| 2018 | 11–13 October | Burnaby, Canada | International Adult Competition | Gold I FS |  |
42.27 | 9/3 | [15] |
| 2019 | 19–-25 May | Oberstdorf, Germany | ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition | Gold I FS | 6th | 45.57 | 13/10 | [16] |
| 1–3 November | Bled, Slovenia | Swan Challenge | Single FS Gold I | |
40.77 | 2/2 | [17] | |
| Single Artistic FS Gold YA+I | |
18.67 | 3/3 | [18] | ||||
| 2022 | 23–28 May | Oberstdorf, Germany | ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition | Gold II FS | 6th | 45.63 | 12/7 | [19] |
| 2023 | 15–20 May | Oberstdorf, Germany | ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition | Gold II FS | |
55.69 | 17/13 | [20] |
| 2024 | 12–21 January | Lombady, Italy | Winter World Masters Games | Gold II FS | |
51.22 | 21/9 | [22] |
| 12–17 May | Oberstdorf, Germany | ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition | Gold II FS | |
52.16 | 13/10 | [23] |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Naz Aroco" (in Turkish). Yaşam Çyküsü. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Naz Arıcı kimdir, kaç yaşında, nereli? Naz Aracı başarıları neler?". Cumhuriyet (in Turkish). 28 September 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Kocabaş, Gonca (31 August 2023). "İkiz gibi büyüdüğü arkadaşı ölünce kararını verdi! 29 yaşında başladı, 5 kez şampiyon oldu". Mİlliyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ "Atılım Üniversitesi's Post" (in Turkish). linked in. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Buzun mühendisi altın kuğu". Genç İfade (in Turkish). 28 April 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Altın Kuğu'nun altın sezonu" (in Turkish). Yenimahalle Belediyesi Spor Kulübü. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ a b c "Naz Arıcı, Altın Kığu Kış Oyunlarında Dünya Şampiyonu Oldu". Anka News Agency (in Turkish). 29 January 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Bronze Ladies I Free Skating Result". ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "Bronze Ladies I Free Skating Entries". ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Bronze Ladies I Free Skating Result". ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Bronze Ladies I Free Skating Entries". ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Silver Women (1 FS) – Category Result Summary" (PDF). Skating in BC – International Adult Figure Skating Competition 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Silver Ladies I Free Skating Result". ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "Silver Ladies I Free Skating Entries". ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ a b "2018 Adult Competition Burnaby, BC – Gold Women (I) Category Result Summary" (PDF). Skate Canada BC YT. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Gold Ladies I Free Skating Result". ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Single Ladies Free Skating Gold I – Result". Swan Challenge 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Single Ladies Artistic Free Skating Gold YA+I – Result". Swan Chalenge 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Gold Women II Free Skating Result". ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Gold Women II Free Skating Result". International Adult Figure Skating Competition 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ a b Kargın, Ergun (16 June 2024). "Artistik buz pateninin "Altın Kuğu"su yeni madalyalar peşinde". Anadolu News Agency (in Turkish). Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Results Adult Gold WomenII" (PDF). Winter World Masters Games 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Gold Women II Free Skating Result". USU International Adult Figure Skating Competition. Retrieved 30 October 2024.