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The 22-year-old had already won 100m gold -- upgraded from silver after the Turkish winner was disqualified
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'Cool' Turkish shooter who went viral at the Paris Olympics, unruffled by social media fame
Yusuf Dikec and partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan won silver on Tuesday for Turkey in the mixed team 10m air pistol
Photo: The Olympic Games
A Turkish Olympic shooting silver medallist said Thursday he was unfazed by his new-found fame, after his casual style with no headwear and a hand in his pocket made him an overnight Internet sensation.
Yusuf Dikec and partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan won silver on Tuesday for Turkey in the mixed team 10m air pistol, losing to Serbia in the gold medal match.
But it was Dikec's posture that caught attention as much as the result, with the marksman wearing standard glasses, a team T-shirt and with his left hand casually slung in his pocket.
Turkey's Yusuf Dikec competes in the shooting 10m air pistol mixed team gold medal match.; Photo: AFP
Other than his pistol, he notably had none of the specialised equipment used by athletes in the hyper-precise event, like headphones, special lenses or a hat. He’s been likened to a regular guy competing at the Olympics, or even a hitman.
"Be cool like Yusuf Dikec. Congratulations on winning the silver medal in such a cool way," France's embassy to Turkey wrote in a post on X in Turkish.
"The name's Dikec. Yusuf Dikec," said posts by other users in reference to cinema icon James Bond. Some memes added a cigarette to his mouth to emphasise the relaxed posture.
Speaking to Turkish channel TGRT Haber, Dikec acknowledged that he had adopted the rare technique of shooting with both eyes open whereas most athletes keep one closed or obscured.
"My shooting technique is one of the rare shooting techniques in the world. I shoot with both eyes open. Even the referees are surprised by this," he said.
Photo: Reuters
He said winning a medal was no surprise as "this year we prepared a lot and worked a lot... this success belongs to all of Turkey."
"Success doesn't come with your hands in your pockets."
Some social media users suggested equal attention should also be given to his shooting partner in the mixed event Tarhan, who images showed adopted an equally casual hand-in-pocket stance, albeit wearing headphones and a visor.
Turkish Sports Minister Osman Askin Bak congratulated Dikec on social media, posting a photo of him recreating his now "legendary pose".
Clutching a Turkish flag and their medals, Dikec and Tarhan both celebrated their victory at the Champions Park at the Trocadero complex in Paris on Wednesday.
The 51-year-old is no newcomer, though. He’s competed at every Summer Olympics since 2008. Dikec was 13th in his individual event and is now done at the Paris Olympics. He’s looking ahead to the next Games in 2028, though. “I hope next in Los Angeles (for) a gold medal,” he said Tuesday.
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