Ayyildiz returns to Istanbul to compete at Atakoy Arena following a month of devastating earthquakes in home country, looking to challenge Turkish indoor 1,500-meter record in preparation for racing mile March 10 at NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships in New Mexico

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Silan Ayyildiz knows the country of Turkey she is returning home to for the European Athletics Indoor Championships is not the same nation she left nearly seven months ago to attend college in South Carolina.

Multiple earthquakes have devastated Turkey and Syria during the past month, resulting in more than 14 million Turkish citizens being affected by the damage, including more than 1.5 million people becoming homeless as a result.

When the 23-year-old Ayyildiz arrived in Istanbul earlier this week in preparation to race the 1,500-meter opening round Friday at Atakoy Arena, the deaths of more than 45,000 people in Turkey had been confirmed and an additional 6,700 in Syria as a result of the earthquakes.

“I have represented my country many times, but it’s going to be different,” Ayyildiz said, acknowledging the emotional balance of a recovering nation that is also trying to showcase one of the most significant global track and field meets of the year.

“I am so sad because we have had some trouble and some hard days and months. After we had a really bad earthquake (February 6), I was really sad that I could not go back to Turkey, but thankfully my family is OK.”

Ayyildiz, a sophomore at South Carolina, grew up less than 30 minutes from Atakoy Arena, the same facility where she won the 1,500 title at the Balkan Indoor Championships a year ago in a personal-best 4:12.78, elevating her to No. 6 all-time among Turkish female competitors.

Her family is based 1,000 kilometers, or more than 600 miles, from the epicenter of the Feb. 6 earthquake in southern and central Turkey, as well as northern and western Syria that had a magnitude of 7.8.

Ayyildiz has competed with extra motivation and inspiration during the past month, especially Feb. 24-25 at her first Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships at Lance Harter Track at Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark.

WATCH SILAN AYYILDIZ INTERVIEW FROM SEC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

“We lost a lot of people, more than 40,000, and I ran (in Arkansas) for them,” Ayyildiz said. “I was really happy to be at my first SEC Championships and I worked so hard.”

Ayyildiz produced a national indoor record by running 4:32.14 in the mile to place second behind Arkansas senior Lauren Gregory, who clocked 4:31.96. Gregory also won the 3,000-meter title in 9:09.90, with Ayyildiz running 9:17.06 to finish fourth.

“It was not my perfect race, but it’s OK because I did the double,” Ayyildiz said. “The 3K was OK after the mile and I am proud of myself for right now. I am looking forward to being back home to race at the European Championships.”

Ayyildiz is one of 22 athletes entered in the 1,500 heats Friday, seeking not only a berth as one of the 12 finalists for Saturday’s championship race, but also the potential to challenge the 2017 national indoor record of 4:09.95 achieved by Meryem Akdag in Istanbul. It marks the first time Turkey is playing host to the European Athletics Indoor Championships.

Her absolute personal-best effort in the 1,500 is 4:10.59 at an outdoor event in June in France. Ayyildiz ran 4:12.67 in her opening-round race in July at the World Athletics Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

“It’s been a really long time since I have been in Turkey, more than six months, and I’m really excited,” Ayyildiz said. “I want to break my country’s record, why not? Let’s see what happens.”

Ayyildiz is also scheduled to compete March 10 in the mile semifinals at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center in New Mexico, ranked No. 8 among the 16 qualifiers following her performance at the SEC indoor final.

“It will be nice to have her there at NCAAs,” said fellow South Carolina sophomore Anass Essayi, a two-time SEC Indoor men’s mile champion representing Morocco, who qualified for both the mile and 3,000 in Albuquerque.

“She’s done a great job so far and I know she’s only going to get better.”

But even if it is only a brief trip from South Carolina to Istanbul, Ayyildiz is grateful to have the support of family and friends, and is hoping to benefit from the energy inside the Atakoy Arena, before returning to the United States to participate in her first collegiate national championship event.

“It’s my home, it’s my people, they are going to support me, of course, I know. My family is also going to watch and it’s in my hometown in Istanbul. It’s very special,” Ayyildiz said. “I want to do my best for them.”