Karin Melis Mey

Karin Melis Mey, born on May 31, 1983, is a distinguished long jumper who originally hails from South Africa but later became a naturalized Turkish citizen in June 2008. Upon her naturalization, she adopted the name Melis, complementing her birth name, Karin Mey. Standing at 172 cm (5 ft 8 in) and weighing 55 kg (121 lb), she is a prominent member of the Fenerbahçe Athletics team, where she trains under the guidance of coach Charley Strohmenger.

Her athletic journey began with her representing South Africa, where she made a notable international debut with a sixth-place finish at the 2005 Summer Universiade. Transitioning to represent Turkey, she competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, participating in the qualifying rounds of the long jump. That same year, she also secured a sixth-place finish at the IAAF World Athletics Final.

In 2009, Mey achieved significant milestones, including a silver medal at the Mediterranean Games and a bronze medal at the World Championships in Athletics held in Berlin, where she jumped an impressive 6.80 m. Although she qualified for the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships, she did not advance to the final. Her personal best jump of 6.93 metres, set in July 2007 in Bad Langensalza, remains the South African record for the event, while she established a Turkish record of 6.87 metres in July 2009.

Her career faced a setback when she qualified for the long jump event at the 2012 Summer Olympics but was disqualified after testing positive for testosterone, a result stemming from the European Championships. This led to a two-year suspension, which concluded on August 7, 2014, marking a challenging chapter in her athletic career.