If you needed further proof of how iconic Turkish pistol shooter Yusuf Dikeç has become during these 2024 Paris Olympics, look no further than Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis on Monday.
Last week, Dikeç, a silver medallist at her fifth Olympics, became an internet sensation after her relaxed pose while shooting went viral. While her outward appearance was calm, she was apparently anything but.
However, Dikeç’s style seems to have caught on in Paris, as Duplantis imitated Dikeç’s pose after one of his jumps on his way to a gold medal and a new world record. Duplantis stepped back, made a pistol with his right hand and stuck his left hand slightly under his pants (maybe at the next Olympics he can have some pockets in his uniform).
Although it is unclear whether this conversation occurred before or after Duplantis’ celebration, it was a topic of discussion during the competition between the Swede and Greek Emmanouil Karalis.
Wait, Emmanouil Karalis and Mondo Duplantis talking about memes about Turkey’s shooters in the middle of world record attempts in the men’s pole vault final. It’s actually pretty funny. image.twitter.com/rrOI6kzGzY
— Gabrielle Scheder-B (GSB) (@gschederb) August 5, 2024
Given his incredible performance in the pole vault final, Duplantis was going to make headlines anyway, but he added a fun moment to his legend.