- Yusuf Dikec has broken his silence after going viral
- The 51-year-old man caused a sensation on the Internet on Wednesday
- He revealed why he does not use specialized equipment
Yusuf Dikec, the Turkish shooter who has swept the Olympics, has broken his silence after going viral on the Internet.
The 51-year-old and his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan won silver in the mixed 10m air pistol team event in Paris on Wednesday, but it was Dikec’s unconventional approach to the competition that made his image go viral.
Dikec rose to fame after a photo of him competing in an unusually relaxed manner, without the typical shooting equipment and with one hand in his pocket, was shared on social media.
Most shooters at the Olympics use ear protection when shooting and wear special glasses that obscure the vision in one eye so competitors don’t have to keep it closed, and sometimes have tinted lenses to help with glare.
The image sparked reactions on social media, with X owner Elon Musk even commenting on the incredible moment.
And Dikec has revealed the real reason she opts not to use the typical kit after making headlines around the world in her fifth appearance at the Olympics.
“I never needed that equipment,” the 51-year-old told Haber Turk.
“I’m a natural shooter, so I don’t use many accessories.”
Turkish silver medallist Yusuf Dikec (pictured), 51, has revealed why he does not use specialist equipment for 10m air pistol shooting.
Dikec, along with her teammate Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, won the silver medal in the mixed 10-meter air pistol team event.
The viral image comes after South Korean Kim Ye-ji was dubbed “the coolest person in the world” during her photo event.
The 31-year-old shooter won a silver medal on Sunday in the women’s 10-meter air pistol event when she finished just behind compatriot Oh Ye-jin.
But it was Kim’s style as much as her precision that really impressed viewers.
Kim was widely described as “badass” as she sported a pair of custom-made shooting glasses and a white baseball cap, while carrying her daughter’s stuffed elephant in her right hand.
South Korea’s Kim Ye-ji competing at the Olympics on Sunday. She went viral this week for barely reacting after winning gold and setting a world record in May.
Since Kim won her first Olympic medal on Sunday, images of her in action at May’s Shooting World Cup in Baku have gone viral on social media.
The video in question shows Kim winning gold in Baku in the 25m pistol competition, setting a new world record in the process.
Commenting on the viral video, one viewer wrote: “This is the coolest thing anyone has ever looked while breaking a world record.”
Another replied: “This is the coldest shit. I’m obsessed.”
A third comment read: “And she’s just so nonchalant about it, oh she’s the coldest main character ever.”