Skip to Content
AP National

Turkmenistan lauds its first Olympic medalist

Pixabay / Pexels
By
Published 9:43 AM

By ALEXANDER VERSHININ
Associated Press

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — Turkmenistan has lauded its first Olympic medal winner at a lavish ceremony where the weightlifter was showered with gifts. The 21-year-old Polina Guryeva lifted a total 217 kilograms in the 59-kilogram category to win silver at the Tokyo Games. It was the first Olympic medal for the gas-rich Central Asian country since it won independence in the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Turkmenistan’s authoritarian president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, has presented Guryeva with an apartment, a luxury sports utility vehicle and $50,000 in cash. Berdymukhamedov’s son, Serdar, was recently promoted to deputy prime minister and he handed over the gifts to Guryeva during Saturday’s ceremony in the capital of Ashgabat

Article Topic Follows: AP National

Jump to comments ↓

The Associated Press

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KYMA KECY is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content