Getty Image
Shooting specialists have firmly emerged as the fairly unexpected stars of the Paris Olympics, and Yusuf Dikec of Turkey only cemented his legend while explaining why he eschewed special equipment after going viral for securing a silver medal in the most casual manner possible.
The 2024 Olympics feature 15 unique events where competitors are equipped with some sort of firearm, but none of them have attracted more attention than the Air Pistol competitions that have thrust a couple of athletes into the international spotlight.
Earlier this week, the internet found itself fawning over the “aura” of Kim Ye-ji, the 31-year-old from South Korea who won a silver in the women’s 10m air pistol event while dripping with the swagger and confidence of a professional assassin in a cat-and-mouse thriller.
Kim was equipped with a pair of the specialized glasses most of the shooters competing at the Olympics harness (they feature a blinder that negates the need to close one of your eyes while aiming in addition to an unmagnified lens that can theoretically make it easier to focus on the target).
The same can’t be said for Yusuf Dikec, the 51-year-old from Turkey who was rocking a pair of prescription glasses, a t-shirt, and the pants where he firmly planted his non-shooting hand in his pocket while competing.
He also found himself thrust into the spotlight this week when people who admired his nonchalant vibes discovered he’d managed to win a silver medal alongside Sevval Ilayda Tarhan in the 10m air pistol mixed team event on Tuesday.
No fancy lenses. No headphones. Just vibes.
Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec was cool as a cucumber en route to silver in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team. 😎 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/p7yu1hXl5x
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 1, 2024
According to Euronews, Dikec spoke with a local media outlet in Turkey in the wake of the win (which marked the first medal Turkey has secured in a shooting event at the Olympics) and explained why he didn’t opt for the fancy contraption Kim and other shooters took advantage of, saying, “I did not need special equipment. I’m a natural; a natural shooter.”
He also noted “Success doesn’t come with your hands in your pockets,” but the medal around his neck would suggest otherwise.