Turkish pistol shooter Yusuf Dikeç has captured the internet’s imagination with his relaxed demeanor while clinching a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics.
Photos of Dikeç have gone viral, showcasing him shooting in a T-shirt, casually with one hand in his pocket, sporting a simple pair of glasses, and maintaining an unfazed expression.
Many have compared him to an everyday individual at the Olympics – or even a hitman.
Despite his laid-back appearance, the 51-year-old Dikeç is a seasoned competitor, having participated in every Summer Olympics since 2008.
Some memes contrast Dikeç with his Serbian opponent Damir Mikec, who wore a blinder over one eye, a lens over the other, and large ear defenders.
Dikeç and Sevval Ilayda Tarhan won the silver medal in mixed team 10-meter air pistol shooting Tuesday. It was Türkiye's first-ever medal in Olympic shooting.
Mikec and Zorana Arunovic won gold for Serbia. The bronze went to India's Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh.
Unlike Dikeç, his teammate Tarhan competed with large ear defenders and a visor, as well as braids in the red and white colors of the Turkish flag. She also shot with one hand in her pocket.
Dikeç finished 13th in his individual event and is now done at the Paris Olympics. He's looking ahead to the next Games in 2028. "I hope next in Los Angeles for a gold medal,” he said Tuesday.
Dikeç seems to be embracing the trend, reposting a video compilation of Turkish-language memes about him to his Instagram page.
The shooting events were held about a three-hour drive south of Paris. Dikeç and Tarhan made the journey to the French capital Wednesday, where they were greeted with cheers at the Champions Park, an open-air venue where medalists celebrate with fans.
Shooters have some freedom about how they dress for competition. Many shooters at the Olympic range in Chateauroux, central France, choose to wear visors to reduce the glare of the lights or blinders over one eye to improve focus.
It is not quite true that Dikeç wasn’t wearing any shooting gear. He had yellow earplugs to block out distractions while he shot in the final. They just weren’t visible from the angle of the image that went viral.
Just like Dikeç, Chinese rifle shooter Liu Yukun won a gold medal Thursday wearing earplugs but no blinder or visor.
South Korean pistol shooter Kim Yeji’s confident demeanor and dramatic stance have brought praise on social media for her “main character energy.”
“The Olympic #shootingsport stars we didn’t know we needed,” the official Olympics account on X posted Thursday with pictures of Kim and Dikeç.
Kim won silver in the women’s 10-meter air pistol event Sunday behind her South Korean teammate Oh Ye Jin. Kim and Oh are roommates, and Kim said she was pleased Oh got the gold because she sees her like a “youngest sibling.”
Kim is set to compete again on Friday to qualify for the women’s 25-meter pistol event.
