Who is Yusuf Dikec? Meet the viral Turkish Olympic shooter who won silver in Paris

Turkish pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec has gone viral connected societal media for his seemingly casual cognition while shooting his measurement to a metallic badge astatine nan 2024 Olympics. 

The most-shared image show Dikec shooting successful a T-shirt pinch 1 manus successful his pocket, a seemingly modular brace of glasses and an impassive look connected his face. 

He's been likened to a regular feline competing astatine nan Olympics, aliases moreover a hitman. 

The 51-year-old - a erstwhile serviceman of nan Turkish Gendarmerie - is nary newcomer, though. He's competed astatine each Summer Olympics since 2008.

Some memes opposition Dikec pinch his Serbian force Damir Mikec, who was wearing a blinder complete 1 eye, a lens complete nan different and a ample brace of receptor defenders.

Did Dikec triumph a medal? 

He did, and it made history. 

Dikec and Sevval Illayd Tarhan won nan metallic badge successful mixed squad 10-meter aerial pistol shooting Tuesday. It was Turkey's first-ever badge successful Olympic shooting. 

Mikec and Zorana Arunovic won golden for Serbia. The bronze went to India's Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh. 

Unlike Dikec, his teammate Tahran was competing pinch ample receptor defenders and a visor, arsenic good arsenic braids successful nan reddish and achromatic colors of nan Turkish flag. She was shooting pinch 1 manus successful her pocket, too.

Dikec was 13th successful his individual arena and is now done astatine nan Paris Olympics. He's looking up to nan adjacent Games successful 2028, though. 

'I dream adjacent successful Los Angeles (for) a golden medal),' he said connected Tuesday. 'We are among nan champion pistol teams.'

What does he deliberation astir going viral?

Dikec seems to beryllium embracing nan trend, reposting a video compilation of Turkish-language memes astir him to his Instagram page. 

The shooting events were held astir 3 hours' thrust southbound of Paris. Dikec and Tarhan made nan travel to nan French superior Wednesday, wherever they were greeted pinch cheers astatine nan Champions Park, an open-air venue wherever medalists observe pinch fans. 

'I didn't expect specified a level of recognition,' he told Turkish media connected his presence successful nan state connected Thursday.

'Since I sprout pinch my some eyes open, I don't find nan instrumentality very comfortable.'

Why didn't Dikec deterioration much gear?

Shooters person immoderate state astir really they dress for competition. 

Many shooters astatine nan Olympics rang successful Chateauroux, cardinal France, take to deterioration visors to trim nan glare of nan lights aliases alleged blinders complete 1 oculus to get a amended attraction for nan oculus which is looking down nan sights. 

It's not rather existent that Dikec wasn't wearing immoderate shooting gear. He had yellowish earplugs to artifact retired distractions while he changeable successful nan final. They conscionable weren't visible from nan perspective of nan image which they went viral. 

Just for illustration Dikec, Chinese firearm shooter Liu Yukun won a golden badge Thursday wearing earplugs but nary blinder aliases visor. 

Have different shooters gone viral astatine nan 2024 Olympics? 

Yes, South Korean pistol shooter Kim Yeji's assured demeanor and melodramatic stance person brought praise connected societal media for her 'main characteristic energy.' 

'The Olympic #shootingsport stars we didn't cognize we needed,' nan charismatic Olympics relationship connected X posted Thursday pinch pictures of Kim and Dikec. 

Kim won metallic successful nan women's 10-meter aerial pistol arena Sunday down her South Korean teammate Oh Ye Jin. Kim and Oh are roommates and Kim said she was pleased Oh sewage nan golden because she sees her for illustration a 'youngest sibling.'

Kim is group to compete again Friday successful qualification for nan women's 25-meter pistol event.