London 2012: Olympian Diets

Before the London Olympics hit our screens, we, the spectators, have to get past Euro 2012, the Tour de France and Wimbledon first. The athletes hoping to win a medal at the Games have been working towards hitting their peak physical and mental condition for months even years. To make sure they hit this peak they don’t just train and discuss tactics, they also make sure that the energy going into their bodies is the right kind of energy. This is a little peek into the diets of some Turkish Olympians.

1Turkish Taekwondo fighter and Olympic hopeful Bahri Tanrikulu, 32, poses in front of his daily meal intake in 

Ankara May 24, 2012. Tanrikulu is a three-time world champion and an Olympic silver medallist. Tanrikulu has

 his heart set on a gold medal at the London Olympics. He supplements his daily diet of 3000 kcal with ergogenic

 aids and multivitamins. Picture taken May 24, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

2The daily meal intake of Turkish Taekwondo fighter and Olympic hopeful Bahri Tanrikulu, 32, is pictured in

 Ankara May 24, 2012. Tanrikulu is a three-time world champion and an Olympic silver medallist. Tanrikulu 

has his heart set on a gold medal at the London Olympics. He supplements his daily diet of 3000 kcal with 

ergogenic aids and multivitamins. Picture taken May 24, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

3Turkish Taekwondo fighter and Olympic hopeful Bahri Tanrikulu, 32, poses for a picture in Ankara May 24,

 2012. Tanrikulu is a three-time world champion and an Olympic silver medallist. Tanrikulu has his heart set 

on a gold medal at the London Olympics. He supplements his daily diet of 3000 kcal with ergogenic aids and

 multivitamins. Picture taken May 24, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

4Turkish Taekwondo fighter and Olympic hopeful Bahri Tanrikulu, 32, poses for a picture in Ankara May 24, 

2012. Tanrikulu is a three-time world champion and an Olympic silver medallist. Tanrikulu has his heart set on

 a gold medal at the London Olympics. He supplements his daily diet of 3000 kcal with ergogenic aids and 

multivitamins. Picture taken May 24, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

5Turkish wrestler and Olympic hopeful Elif Jale Yesilirmak, 26, poses in front of her daily meal intake in Ankara

 May 29, 2012. Yesilirmak sticks to a 3000 kcal-a-day diet. Instead of red meat I generally eat salmon. I believe

 fish is more healthy and nutritious. And also, lots of water. I drink a minimum of five litres of water every day,

 she says. Picture taken May 29, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

6The daily food intake of Turkish wrestler and Olympic hopeful Elif Jale Yesilirmak, 26, is pictured in Ankara

 May 29, 2012. Yesilirmak sticks to a 3000 kcal-a-day diet. Instead of red meat, I generally eat salmon. I 

 believe fish is more healthy and nutritious. And also, lots of water. I drink a minimum of five litres of water 

every day, she says. Picture taken May 29, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

7Turkish wrestler and Olympic hopeful Elif Jale Yesilirmak, 26, poses for a picture in Ankara May 29, 2012. 

Yesilirmak sticks to a 3000 kcal-a-day diet. Instead of red meat I generally eat salmon. I believe fish is more 

 healthy and nutritious. And also, lots of water. I drink a minimum of five litres of water every day, she says. 

Picture taken May 29, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

8Turkish wrestler and Olympic hopeful Elif Jale Yesilirmak, 26, poses for a picture in Ankara May 29, 2012. 

Yesilirmak sticks to a 3000 kcal-a-day diet. Instead of red meat I generally eat salmon. I believe fish is more 

 healthy and nutritious. And also, lots of water. I drink a minimum of five litres of water every day, she says. 

Picture taken May 29, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

9Turkish javelin thrower and Olympic hopeful Fatih Avan, 23, poses in front of his daily meal intake in Ankara

 May 29, 2012. Avan made the world's second best throw of 2012 but the Olympic Games have a special place

 in his heart. I may have become an elite athlete with my good performances but I can only be a great athlete if I 

can win an Olympic medal, he says. Avan complements his rigorous training schedule with a nutritional 

 programme which gives him a daily intake of 3500 kcal. His diet is mainly protein-based. A good diet is 

essential for power. A correct and consistent diet proves its value in my training, he says. Picture taken May

 29, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

10The daily meal intake of Turkish javelin thrower and Olympic hopeful Fatih Avan, 23, is pictured in Ankara

 May 29, 2012. Avan made the world's second best throw of 2012 but the Olympic Games have a special place

 in his heart. I may have become an elite athlete with my good performances but I can only be a great athlete if I

 can win an Olympic medal, he says. Avan complements his rigorous training schedule with a nutritional 

 programme which gives him a daily intake of 3500 kcal. His diet is mainly protein-based. A good diet is 

essential for power. A correct and consistent diet proves its value in my training, he says. Picture taken May 

29, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

11Turkish javelin thrower and Olympic hopeful Fatih Avan, 23, poses for a picture in Ankara May 29, 2012.

 Avan made the world's second best throw of 2012 but the Olympic Games have a special place in his heart.

 I may have become an elite athlete with my good performances but I can only be a great athlete if I can win

 an Olympic medal, he says. Avan complements his rigorous training schedule with a nutritional programme 

which gives him a daily intake of 3500 kcal. His diet is mainly protein-based. A good diet is essential for power.

 A correct and consistent diet proves its value in my training, he says. Picture taken May 29, 2012. 

12Turkish javelin thrower and Olympic hopeful Fatih Avan, 23, poses for a picture in Ankara May 29, 2012.

 Avan made the world's second best throw of 2012 but the Olympic Games have a special place in his heart. 

I may have become an elite athlete with my good performances but I can only be a great athlete if I can win an

 Olympic medal, he says. Avan complements his rigorous training schedule with a nutritional programme which 

gives him a daily intake of 3500 kcal. His diet is mainly protein-based. A good diet is essential for power. A 

correct and consistent diet proves its value in my training, he says. Picture taken May 29, 2012. 

13Turkish 800-metre runner and Olympic hopeful Merve Aydin, 22, poses in front of her daily meal intake in 

Ankara May 23, 2012. Aydin will run at the Olympics for the first time this year. Her daily intake is 3000 kcal

. Although she is rigorously training for the Games, she remains guarded on the outcome. It is more important for

 me to realise my true potential and limitations. And do the best I can. I work hard and keep a careful diet, she

 says. Picture taken May 23, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

14The daily meal intake of Turkish 800-metre runner and Olympic hopeful Merve Aydin, 22, is pictured in 

Ankara May 23, 2012. Aydin will run at the Olympics for the first time this year. Her daily intake is 3000 kcal. 

 Although she is rigorously training for the Games, she remains guarded on the outcome. It is more important for

 me to realise my true potential and limitations. And do the best I can. I work hard and keep a careful diet, she 

says. Picture taken May 23, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

15Turkish 800-metre runner and Olympic hopeful Merve Aydin, 22, poses for a picture in Ankara May 23, 

2012. Aydin will run at the Olympics for the first time this year. Her daily intake is 3000 kcal. Although she is 

 rigorously training for the Games, she remains guarded on the outcome. It is more important for me to realise

 my true potential and limitations. And do the best I can. I work hard and keep a careful diet, she says. 

Picture taken May 23, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

16Turkish 800-metre runner and Olympic hopeful Merve Aydin, 22, poses for a picture in Ankara May 23, 

2012. Aydin will run at the Olympics for the first time this year. Her daily intake is 3000 kcal. Although she is

 rigorously training for the Games, she remains guarded on the outcome. It is more important for me to realise 

my true potential and limitations. And do the best I can. I work hard and keep a careful diet, she says. Picture

 taken May 23, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

17Turkish weightlifter and Olympic hopeful Mete Binay, 27, poses in front of his daily meal intake in Ankara 

May 29, 2012. Binay is a world champion weightlifter and his daily diet is 3500 kcal. He drinks at last two 

 glasses of milk every night. His diet is largely composed of red meat. He consumes plenty of sweet desserts 

everyday and takes care never to miss a full breakfast. Binay is also keen on organic food. Shortly before

 competitions he begins to supplement his diet with ergogenic aids and vitamin pills. Picture taken May 29,

 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

18The daily food intake of Turkish weightlifter and Olympic hopeful Mete Binay, 27, is pictured in Ankara May

 29, 2012. Binay is a world champion weightlifter and his daily diet is 3500 kcal. He drinks at last two glasses 

of milk every night. His diet is largely composed of red meat. He consumes plenty of sweet desserts everyday 

and takes care never to miss a full breakfast. Binay is also keen on organic food. Shortly before competitions

 he begins to supplement his diet with ergogenic aids and vitamin pills. Picture taken May 29, 2012. 

19Turkish weightlifter and Olympic hopeful Mete Binay, 27, poses in Ankara May 29, 2012. Binay is a world 

champion weightlifter and his daily diet is 3500 kcal. He drinks at last two glasses of milk every night. His diet 

 is largely composed of red meat. He consumes plenty of sweet desserts everyday and takes care never to miss

 a full breakfast. Binay is also keen on organic food. Shortly before competitions he begins to supplement his 

diet with ergogenic aids and vitamin pills. Picture taken May 29, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

20Turkish weightlifter and Olympic hopeful Mete Binay, 27, poses in Ankara May 29, 2012. Binay is a world 

champion weightlifter and his daily diet is 3500 kcal. He drinks at last two glasses of milk every night. His diet

 is largely composed of red meat. He consumes plenty of sweet desserts everyday and takes care never to miss

 a full breakfast. Binay is also keen on organic food. Shortly before competitions he begins to supplement his 

diet with ergogenic aids and vitamin pills. Picture taken May 29, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

21Turkish Taekwondo fighter and Olympic hopeful Nur Tatar, 20, poses in front of her daily food intake in 

Ankara May 24, 2012. Tatar is preparing to compete for Turkey in the London 2012 Olympic Games. This is

 her first time competing in the Olympics and she is on a strict diet to shed several pounds to reach the exact 

weight category in which she will fight. She has reduced her daily calorie intake to 1500 kcal. Picture taken 

May 24, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

22The daily food intake of Turkish Taekwondo fighter and Olympic hopeful Nur Tatar, 20, is pictured in Ankara

 May 24, 2012. Tatar is preparing to compete for Turkey in the London 2012 Olympic Games. This is her first

 time competing in the Olympics and she is on a strict diet to shed several pounds to reach the exact weight 

category in which she will fight. She has reduced her daily calorie intake to 1500 kcal. Picture taken May 24, 

2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

23Turkish Taekwondo fighter and Olympic hopeful Nur Tatar, 20, poses in Ankara May 24, 2012. Tatar is 

preparing to compete for Turkey in the London 2012 Olympic Games. This is her first time competing in the 

Olympics and she is on a strict diet to shed several pounds to reach the exact weight category in which she 

will fight. She has reduced her daily calorie intake to 1500 kcal. Picture taken May 24, 2012. 

24Turkish Taekwondo fighter and Olympic hopeful Nur Tatar, 20, poses in Ankara May 24, 2012. Tatar is 

preparing to compete for Turkey in the London 2012 Olympic Games. This is her first time competing in the 

Olympics and she is on a strict diet to shed several pounds to reach the exact weight category in which she 

will fight. She has reduced her daily calorie intake to 1500 kcal. Picture taken May 24, 2012.