Erol Bilgin

Erol Bilgin (born 20 February 1987) is a Turkish former weightlifter who competed in the 62 kg category. A two-time European champion and 2010 World bronze medalist.

Career Bilgin was born in Kütahya, Turkey. He began lifting in 1998 at the Kütahya Gençlik Merkezi Sports Club and moved to Tarım Kredi S.K. in 2000. He was coached by Hilmi Pekünlü.

He achieved his first major international title at the 2004 European Junior Weightlifting Championships in Burgas, winning gold. He later became European Youth and Under-16 Champion, and in 2010 won bronze at the 2010 World Weightlifting Championships in Antalya, lifting 143 kg in snatch and 171 kg in clean & jerk (314 kg total).

Bilgin ranked 8th at the 2012 London Olympics, but in 2020 the International Olympic Committee announced his disqualification after re-analysis of his 2012 samples detected Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (Oral Turinabol) and Stanozolol.

He also represented Turkey at the 2008 European Weightlifting Championships in Lignano Sabbiadoro, lifting 135 kg in snatch and 160 kg in clean & jerk for 295 kg total and a silver medal.

Bilgin’s consecutive gold medals at the 2009 Bucharest and 2010 Minsk European Championships established him among the best lightweight lifters of the late 2000s.

Major results Year Venue Weight Snatch (kg) Clean & Jerk (kg) Total Rank 1 2 3 Rank 1 2 3 Rank Olympic Games 2012 London, United Kingdom 62 kg 135 139 140 7 165 165 169 8 300 DQ World Championships 2010 Antalya, Turkey 62 kg 140 142 143 168 171 174 314 European Championships 2010 Minsk, Belarus 62 kg 137 138 139 162 164 165 304 2009 Bucharest, Romania 62 kg 131 133 133 156 158 160 293 2008 Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy 62 kg 133 134 135 158 159 160 295 2007 Strasbourg, France 62 kg 126 127 128 155 156 158 276 2005 Sofia, Bulgaria 56 kg 118 119 120 143 144 145 265 Mediterranean Games 2018 Tarragona, Spain 62 kg 120 125 127 155 165 169 290 World University Championships 2006 İzmir, Turkey 62 kg 120 123 125 158 160 162 285 World Junior Championships 2004 Minsk, Belarus 56 kg 113 115 117 133 135 137 250 European Junior Championships 2004 Burgas, Bulgaria 56 kg 110 112 112.5 142 143 145 257.5 European U17 Championships 2004 Stavanger, Norway 56 kg 108 110 112 133 134 135 245 European U16 Championships 2002 Villeneuve-Loubet, France 45 kg 75 77.5 80 100 102.5 105 180