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

Turkish pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec has gone viral on social media for his seemingly nonchalant attitude as he powers his way to a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics.

The most shared photo shows Dikec shooting in a T-shirt, one hand in his pocket, seemingly standard-issue glasses and an impassive look on his face.

He has been compared to a regular guy competing in the Olympics, or even a hitman.

The 51-year-old – a former officer in the Turkish Gendarmerie – is no newcomer, however, having competed in every Summer Olympics since 2008.

In some memes, Dikec has been compared to his Serbian opponent Damir Mikec, who wore a blinder over one eye, a lens over the other and a large pair of ear defenders.

The 52-year-old competed in his fifth Olympic Games with his shooting partner Sevval Ilayd Tarhan

Did Dikec win a medal?

He did, and it made history.

Dikec and Sevval Illayd Tarhan won the silver medal in the mixed team 10-meter air pistol shooting on Tuesday, Turkey’s first-ever medal in Olympic shooting.

Mikec and Zorana Arunovic won gold for Serbia, while bronze went to India’s Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh.

Unlike Dikec, his teammate Tahran was competing with large earmuffs and a visor, as well as braids in the red and white colors of the Turkish flag. She too was shooting with one hand in her pocket.

Dikec finished 13th in his individual event and is now ready for the Olympic Games in Paris, but he is already looking forward to the next Games in 2028.

“I’m hoping for a gold medal next time in Los Angeles,” he said Tuesday. “We’re one of the best pistol teams.”

Dikec and Tarhan won the first ever Olympic medal for Turkey in the 10m air pistol shooting

How does he feel about going viral?

Dikec seems to be embracing the trend, posting a video compilation of Turkish memes about him on his Instagram page.

The shooting events took place about three hours south of Paris. Dikec and Tarhan traveled to the French capital on Wednesday, where they were greeted with cheers at Champions Park, an open-air venue where medal winners celebrate with fans.

“I didn’t expect to receive such recognition,” he told Turkish media upon arriving in the country on Thursday.

‘Because I shoot with both eyes open, I don’t find the equipment very comfortable.’

Dikec’s cool demeanor in Paris ensured he returned to Turkey with a hero’s welcome (seen on Thursday).

Why didn’t Dikec wear more gear?

Shooters have some freedom in how they dress for a competition.

Many shooters at the Olympic Games in Chateauroux, central France, wear a visor to reduce the glare of the lights or a blinder to help focus the eye looking into the visor.

It’s not entirely true that Dikec wasn’t wearing shooting gear. He had yellow earplugs to block out distractions while he was shooting in the final. They just weren’t visible from the angle of the image that made it go viral.

Like Dikec, Chinese shooter Liu Yukun won a gold medal on Thursday wearing earplugs but without blinkers or a visor.

Dikec (seen in 2017) wears nothing but yellow earplugs while shooting

Have any other shooters gone viral at the 2024 Olympics?

Yes, South Korean pistol shooter Kim Yeji’s confident demeanor and dramatic attitude have earned her praise on social media for her “leading actor energy.”

“The Olympic #shootingstars we didn’t know we needed,” the official Olympic account posted on X Thursday with photos of Kim and Dikec.

Kim won silver in the women’s 10m air pistol on Sunday, behind South Korean teammate Oh Ye Jin. Kim and Oh are roommates, and Kim said she was happy that Oh got the gold, because she sees her as a “youngest brother or sister.”

Kim will compete again in the qualification for the women’s 25m pistol event on Friday.

South Korean pistol shooters Kim Yeji (left) and Oh Ye Jin have also gone viral for their cold looks