Berke Akçam
Turkish hurdler (born 2002)
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Berke Akçam (born 10 April 2002) is a Turkish track and field athlete who specializes in the 400 metres hurdles and sprint events.[1] He became the **2021 World Athletics U20 champion** in the 400 metres hurdles, winning Turkey's first-ever world title in this event.[2] He is also a double Universiade gold medalist, having won in 2023 (4×400 m relay) and 2025 (400 m hurdles).[3][4]
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2026 European Championships | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Turkish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 10 April 2002 (age 24) Bursa, Turkey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Bursa Uludağ University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Turkey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Events | 400 metres hurdles, 400 m, 4×400 m relay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal bests |
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Medal record
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Career
Akçam began athletics in his early teens, focusing on sprint and hurdles events.[1] He first represented Turkey at the 2018 European Athletics U18 Championships, where he placed seventh in the 400 m hurdles.
In 2019, he won gold with the Turkish 4 × 400 m relay at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Borås, Sweden. He also took bronze in the 400 m hurdles at the 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan.[5]
In 2020, Akçam won gold in the 400 m hurdles and the 4 × 400 m relay at the Balkan Athletics Championships in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.[6]
In 2021, he became the European U20 champion in the 400 m hurdles in Tallinn, Estonia, and later that year, won the gold medal in the 400 m hurdles at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, setting a Turkish U20 record of 49.38 seconds.[1][7]
At senior level, he competed at the 2021 European Indoor Championships and the 2021 World Athletics Relays. In 2023, Akçam set a Turkish national record (3:09.41) in the 4 × 400 m relay at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, finishing sixth.[8]
That same year, he won double silver at the European U23 Championships in Espoo, Finland: in the 400 m hurdles (49.48 s) and with the Turkish 4 × 400 m relay team.[9] He also won silver at the 2023 Balkan Athletics Championships in the 400 m hurdles and gold with the Turkish relay.
At the postponed 2021 Summer World University Games in Chengdu (held in August 2023), Akçam placed fourth in the 400 m hurdles and won gold in the men's 4 × 400 m relay.[10]
In 2024, he won the Balkan Indoor Championships in the 400 m and relay, and took silver in the 400 m hurdles at the U23 Mediterranean Championships in Ismailia. At the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, he placed fifth in the 400 m hurdles final with a new personal best of 48.14 seconds.[11]
He represented Turkey at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, reaching the semifinals in the men's 400 metres hurdles.[1]
Akçam has also won multiple Turkish national titles in the 400 m hurdles and the 400 m indoor.[1]
Achievements
- World Athletics U20 Championships
- Gold: 400 m hurdles, 2021 (Nairobi)
- Summer World University Games
- Gold: 4 × 400 m relay, 2021 (Chengdu, held 2023)
- European Athletics U23 Championships
- Silver: 400 m hurdles, 2023 (Espoo)
- Silver: 4 × 400 m relay, 2023 (Espoo)
- European Athletics U20 Championships
- Gold: 4 × 400 m relay, 2019 (Borås)
- Gold: 400 m hurdles, 2021 (Tallinn)
- Balkan Athletics Championships
- Multiple medals in 400 m hurdles and relays
- National Championships
- Turkish champion in 400 m hurdles (2020, 2021)
- Turkish indoor champion in 400 m (2021, 2023, 2024)