Sevda Altunoluk (born 1 April 1994) is a Turkish Paralympian goalball player competing for Yenimahalle Belediyespor in Ankara.[1] She is a member of the national team, and was named several times as Top goalscorer. In 2021 she was named as one of the BBC's 100 Women.[2][3]
Private life
Sevda Altunoluk was born on 1 April 1994). She is a native of Tokat in Turkey.[4][5] Her sister Sevtap Altunoluk is also a national goalball player.[6]
Sporting career
Club
Altunoluk began playing goalball at 12 years of age.[7]
She played for the visually impaired sports club Mithat Enç Gören Kalpler SK in Ankara[8][9] before she transferred to Yenimahalle Belediyesi SK in the same city.[7][10][11] Her current team is coached by Ekrem Gündoğdu, a member of the men's goalball team at the same club.[12] Several times, she was recognized as top scorer at the national level.[9][13]
International
Altunoluk competes internationally on the Turkey women's national goalball team.[10][12][14] She has taken part in various competitions. In 2010, she won the silver medal at the IBSA Goalball European Women's Group B Championship held in Eskişehir, Turkey.[15][16] At the 2012 IBSA European Goalball Championships Div. B in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, she captured the gold medal and topped the scorer list with 27 goals, followed by Swetlana Otto from Germany with 21.[17] She won the gold medal at the 2013 Pajulahti Games in Nastola, Finland,[10] where she was the top scorer.[10] Altınoluk was also the top scorer of the 2013 Malmö Lady Inter Cup in Malmö with 18 goals, even though her team placed fourth.[18] At the same tournament next year, the team took bronze and she placed second on the top scorer list with 17 goals, behind Laura Belle of Spain.[19] In 2015, she took the gold medal at the 2015 IBSA European Goalball Championships Div. A, in Kaunas, Lithuania.[12][20] There, she was the top scorer, followed by her teammate Sümeyye Özcan.[21]
^"Goalball Milli Takım Listesi" (in Turkish). Türkiye Förme Engelliler Spor Federasyonu. January 2009. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
