Soner Demirtaş


Soner Demirtaş is a Turkish freestyle wrestler who competes in the 74 kg division. He won the European title in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He was bronze medalist at the Rio Olympics.

Personal life

Soner Demirtaş was born to a butcher father as the third son of five in Çat village of Tokat on 25 June 1991. He is a student of physical education and sports at Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University in Karaman. His three brothers are also sport wrestlers. He was inspired to take up wrestling by his eldest brother Bekir Demirtaş.

Sports career

Demirtaş internationally debuted at the Freestyle Wrestling – Junior World Championships 2010 held in Budapest, Hungary, where he captured the silver medal.
He took part at the 2012 European Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
He participated at the 2013 European Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia. He won the gold medal at the 2013 Mediterranean Games in Mersin, Turkey. He lost to Belarusian Ali Shabanau in the round of 16 at the 2013 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
He won the bronze medal at the 2014 European Championships in Vantaa, Finland. Demirtaş lost to Jumber Kvelashvili of Georgia in the round of 32 at the 2014 World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
He became silver medalist at the 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan. He lost to Narsingh Pancham Yadav from India in the round of 16 at the 2015 World Championships in Las vegas, United States. Demirtaş became a second time European champion in 2017 at Novi Sad, Serbia.