National athletes who secured Olympic quota complain about 'referee': 'They followed an incredibly bad policy'

National athletes Meryem Bekmez and Salih Korkmaz, who secured an Olympic quota by finishing 20th in the mixed relay marathon race—held for the first time in the history of the organization at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships hosted by Antalya—spoke to members of the press after the race.

"I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH TRAUMA"

Stating that they did not give up despite the negative decisions made by the referees, Salih Korkmaz said, "We did not give up and managed to secure the quota. I have been an athlete for 20 years and I have never experienced such trauma. One part of us is very happy, and one part of us is very sad. It was not a fair competition. The referees followed an incredibly bad policy. We experienced major negativity during the races. I suffered an injury. I would like to thank the entire medical team, our coaches, the federation, and our nation that supports us. It was a great opportunity for such a competition to be held in our country. Such competitions are not given to every country. The successes we athletes have shown recently have made an impact. We are very happy that such an organization was held in our country," he stated.

Emphasizing that they are happy to have secured a quota for Paris 2024, Meryem Bekmez also commented, "I would like to thank our Federation President Fatih Çintimar for providing us with these opportunities. I hope we can continue this success in Paris and win a medal there."