Naim Suleymanoglu, a Turkish weight lifter whose diminutive size and stunning strength earned him the nickname Pocket Hercules on his way to winning three consecutive Olympic gold medals, died on Saturday in Istanbul. He was 50.
He had been hospitalized in late September with liver failure caused by cirrhosis and had received a transplant on Oct. 6, according to Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, which announced the death. On Nov. 11, he had surgery for a brain hemorrhage.
Suleymanoglu, who stood about 4 feet 10 inches and competed as a featherweight, was internationally known by the time he competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.