Turkish pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec has gone viral on social media for his seemingly casual attitude as he shoots his way to a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics.
The most shared image shows Dikec shooting in a T-shirt, one hand in his pocket, seemingly standard glasses and an impassive look on his face.
He has been compared to a normal guy competing in the Olympics, or even a hitman.
The 51-year-old, a former officer in the Turkish Gendarmerie, is no rookie, having competed in every Summer Olympics since 2008.
Some memes contrast Dikec with his Serbian opponent Damir Mikec, who wore a blinder over one eye, a lens over the other, and a large pair of ear defenders.
Yusuf Dikec, a Turkish air pistol competitor, has the Internet joking for his relaxed pose
The 52-year-old athlete participated in his fifth Olympic Games with his shooting partner Sevval Ilayd Tarhan.
Did Dikec win a medal?
He did it and made history.
Dikec and Sevval Illayd Tarhan won the silver medal in the mixed 10m air pistol team event on Tuesday. It was Turkey’s first medal in Olympic shooting.
Mikec and Zorana Arunovic won gold for Serbia. Bronze went to Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh of India.
Unlike Dikec, her teammate Tahran competed wearing large ear protectors and a visor, as well as braids in the red and white colours of the Turkish flag. She also shot with one hand in her pocket.
Dikec finished 13th in her individual event and will no longer be eligible to compete at the Paris Olympics. However, she already has her sights set on the next Games in 2028.
“I hope next time we get the gold medal in Los Angeles,” he said Tuesday. “We are one of the best pistol teams.”
Dikec and Tarhan won Turkey’s first Olympic medal in 10m air pistol shooting
What do you think about going viral?
Dikec appears to be embracing the trend and has reposted a compilation of Turkish meme videos about him on his Instagram page.
The shooting events were held about three hours’ drive south of Paris. Dikec and Tarhan traveled to the French capital on Wednesday, where they were greeted with cheers at Champions Park, an open-air venue where medalists celebrate with fans.
“I did not expect such a level of recognition,” he told Turkish media upon his arrival in the country on Thursday.
“Since I shoot with both eyes open, the equipment isn’t very comfortable for me.”
Dikec’s calm attitude in Paris allowed him to return to Turkey with a hero’s welcome (seen on Thursday).
Why didn’t Dikec bring more equipment?
Shooters have some freedom in how they dress for competition.
Many shooters at the Olympic Games in Chateauroux in central France choose to wear visors to reduce glare from lights or so-called blinders over one eye to achieve better focus for the eye looking down.
It’s not entirely true that Dikec wasn’t wearing shooting gear. He was wearing yellow earplugs to block out distractions while shooting in the final. They just weren’t visible from the angle of the image that went viral.
Like Dikec, Chinese shooter Liu Yukun won a gold medal on Thursday wearing earplugs but without blinders or a visor.
Dikec (seen in 2017) likes to wear nothing but yellow earplugs while filming.
Have other shooters gone viral at the 2024 Olympics?
Yes, South Korean shooter Kim Yeji’s confident demeanor and dramatic stance have earned her praise on social media for her “main character energy.”
“The #olympicshooting stars we didn’t know we needed,” the official Olympic Games X account posted on Thursday with photos of Kim and Dikec.
Kim won silver in the women’s 10-meter air pistol event on Sunday, behind South Korean teammate Oh Ye Jin. Kim and Oh are roommates and Kim said she was happy that Oh took gold because she sees her as her “younger sister.”
Kim is scheduled to compete again on Friday in qualifying for the women’s 25-meter pistol event.
South Korean gun snipers Kim Yeji (L) and Oh Ye Jin have also gone viral for their cold stares.