Celal Atik

{{Short description|Turkish wrestler and coach (1918–1979)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Celal Atik

| nickname =

| image = Celal Atik and Hermann Baumann, London 1948.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Atik (left) at the 1948 Olympics

| birth_date = 1918

| birth_place = Boğazlıyan, Yozgat, Ottoman Empire

| death_date = 27 April {{death year and age|1979|1918}}

| death_place = Ankara, Turkey

| height =

| weight =

| sport = Wrestling

| event = Freestyle
Greco-Roman

| club =

| alma_mater =

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport |Men's freestyle wrestling }}

{{MedalCountry | {{TUR}} }}

{{MedalCompetition |Olympic Games}}

File:Olympic rings.svg

{{MedalGold|1948 London|Lightweight}}

{{MedalCompetition |World Championships }}

{{MedalGold|1951 Helsinki|Welterweight}}

{{MedalCompetition |European Championships}}

{{MedalGold|1946 Stockholm|Lightweight}}

{{MedalGold|1949 Istanbul|Welterweight}}

{{MedalSport | Greco-Roman wrestling }}

{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}

{{MedalSilver|1950 Stockholm|Welterweight}}

{{MedalCompetition |European Championships }}

{{MedalBronze|1947 Prague|Lightweight}}

{{MedalCompetition|Balkan Championships}}

{{MedalSilver|1940 Istanbul|Welterweight}}

}}

Celal Atik (1918 – 27 April 1979) was a Turkish wrestler and coach. He competed both in Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, but had his best achievements in the freestyle, winning gold medals at the 1948 Olympics, 1951 World and 1946 and 1949 European championships.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/at/celal-atik-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418060438/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/at/celal-atik-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-04-18}}

He was born in the village of Gürdan in the Boğazlıyan district of Yozgat Province, Turkey. He changed his family name from "Doğan" to "Atik" (literally, "Slippy") after a proposal by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, who noticed his speed at the 1938 national championships.{{cite web | url=https://yozgat.ktb.gov.tr/TR-105315/celal-atik.html | title=Celal Âtik }}{{cite web | url=https://www.turkguresvakfi.org.tr/Sampiyon-Guresciler/celal--atik/30 | title=CELAL ATİK (Olimpiyat ve Dünya Şampiyonu) | Türk Güreş Vakfı }}

After retiring from competition, from 1955 to 1979 he coached the national wrestling team and prepared multiple international competitors. Appointed the head trainer by the International Wrestling Federation (FILA) in Switzerland, he gave lessons on wrestling techniques to sportspeople from all around the world.{{cite web | url=https://www.biyografi.info/kisi/celal-atik | title=Celal Atik kimdir? }}{{Cite book |last=Güven |first=Özbay |url=https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/692208 |title=Atatürk ve Güreş |language=tr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123035603/https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/692208 |archive-date=November 23, 2022 |url-status=live}}

He is recognized as one of Turkey's best wrestlers, with exceptional technique as well as the most aesthetic physique. In addition to his other honors, he was awarded with the Légion d'honneur of France.{{cite web | url=https://www.biyografi.net.tr/celal-atik-kimdir/ | title=Celal Atik kimdir - Biyografi.net.tr }}

Atik died on 27 April 1979 in a hospital in Ankara. Two sports halls—one in İzmir with a capacity of 1,200 people[http://www.gencbasket.com/millihaber26.html GençBasket] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061020035357/http://www.gencbasket.com/millihaber26.html |date=20 October 2006 }} {{in lang|tr}} and another one in his hometown Yozgat—are named after him.[http://www.yozgat.gov.tr/yozgat.php?sayfa=spor Governor of Yozgat] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070127154306/http://www.yozgat.gov.tr/yozgat.php?sayfa=spor |date=27 January 2007 }} {{in lang|tr}}