Orhun Yüce

Orhun Yüce
Curler
Born (1998-08-25) August 25, 1998 (age 26)
Erzurum, Turkey
Team
Curling clubMilli Piyango CA, Erzurum
SkipUğurcan Karagöz
ThirdMuhammet Haydar Demirel
SecondMuhammed Zeki Uçan
LeadOrhun Yüce
AlternateFaruk Kavaz
Curling career
Member Association Turkey
World Championship
appearances		1 (2023)
European Championship
appearances		4 (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023)

Orhun Yüce (born August 25, 1998) is a Turkish curler from Erzurum.[1] He currently plays lead on the Turkish National Men's Curling Team skipped by Uğurcan Karagöz.

Career

Yüce made his international début at the 2017 World Mixed Curling Championship playing lead on the Turkish team, skipped by Alican Karataş. The team finished pool play with a 5–1 record. This put them into the playoffs, where they beat Hungary in the round of 16, but lost to Norway in the quarterfinals.[2]

Yüce joined the Turkish men's team (skipped by Uğurcan Karagöz) in 2019, making his début for the national team at the 2019 European Curling Championships, playing in the "B" division. The team finished pool play with a 6–1 record, then beat Spain before losing to the Czech Republic in the playoffs.[3]

At the same time he was on the men's team, Yüce was also a member of the Turkish junior men's team, playing in one tournament with the team, the 2019 World Junior-B Curling Championships. Yüce played third on the team, which was skipped by Oğuzhan Karakurt. The team finished with a 5–2 record, but lost in the quarterfinals, to Italy.[4]

Following the abbreviated 2020–21 curling season which was mostly cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Turkish men's team's next major event was the 2021 Pre-Olympic Qualification Event played at home in Erzurum, in an attempt to qualify Turkey for the Olympic Qualification Event. The team, skipped by Karagöz made it to the qualification final, where they lost to Finland.[5] The team then played in 2021 European Curling Championships, where Turkey was playing in the "B" event again. The team had a strong event, finishing 6–1 in pool play, in first place. They then won all of their playoff games, qualifying Turkey for the 2022 World Qualification Event as well as the 2022 European Curling Championships main event.[6] At the 2022 World Qualification Event, the team, now led by Karakurt, went 3–3, missing the playoffs and an attempt to qualify for the 2022 World Men's Curling Championship.[7]

At the 2022 European Curling Championships, the team, skipped by Karagöz again, went 4–5,[8] good enough to qualify the team for the 2023 World Men's Curling Championship, the first World Men's Championship for Turkey. On the World Curling Tour, the team won the 2023 Belgium Men's Challenger.[9] At the World Championships, the team finished in eleventh place, with a 2–11 record, winning the first ever games at the Worlds for the Turkish men's team.[10][11]

Personal life

Yüce is currently employed as a curling instructor.[1]

Teams

Season Skip Third Second Lead Alternate
2019–20[12] Uğurcan Karagöz Oğuzhan Karakurt Muhammed Zeki Uçan Orhun Yüce Muhammed Caglayan
Oğuzhan Karakurt Orhun Yüce Muhammet Haydar Demirel Faruk Kavaz Eren Yıldız
2021–22 Uğurcan Karagöz Oğuzhan Karakurt Muhammed Zeki Uçan Orhun Yüce Muhammet Haydar Demirel
2022–23 Uğurcan Karagöz Muhammet Haydar Demirel Muhammed Zeki Uçan Orhun Yüce Faruk Kavaz

References

  1. ^ a b "2023 World Men's Curling Championship Media Guide" (PDF). Curling Canada. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  2. ^ "World Mixed Curling Championship 2017". World Curling Federation. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  3. ^ "Le Gruyère AOP European Curling Championships 2019". World Curling Federation. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  4. ^ "World Junior-B Curling Championships 2019". World Curling Federation. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  5. ^ "Pre-Olympic Qualification Event 2021". World Curling Federation. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  6. ^ "Le Gruyère AOP European Curling Championships B-Division 2021". World Curling Federation. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  7. ^ "Le World Qualification Event 2022". World Curling Federation. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  8. ^ "Le Gruyère AOP European Curling Championships 2022". World Curling Federation. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  9. ^ "Gelsin 'Euro'lar". Pusula (in Turkish). Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  10. ^ "Turkey win first-ever game at Men's Curling World Championships beating New Zealand before win over Korea". EuroSport. April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  11. ^ "Gushue, Canada wrap up round robin with win over Edin, Sweden". TSN. April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  12. ^ "Orhun Yüce Past Teams". CurlingZone. Retrieved April 8, 2023.