- Yusuf Dikec has broken his silence after going viral
- The 51-year-old took the internet by storm on Wednesday
- He revealed why he doesn’t use specialized equipment
Yusuf Dikec, the Turkish shooter who conquered the Olympic Games, has broken his silence after his act went viral on the internet.
The 51-year-old and his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan won the silver medal in the mixed team 10m air pistol event in Paris on Wednesday. But it was Dikec’s unconventional approach to the competition that made his image go viral.
Dikec rose to fame after a photo was shared on social media showing him fighting in an unusually relaxed manner, without the usual shooting gear and with one hand in his pocket.
Most Olympic shooters wear ear protection while shooting and wear special goggles that reduce vision in one eye, so that competitors do not have to keep their eyes closed. Sometimes some shooters also have tinted lenses to reduce glare.
The photo sparked a storm of reactions on social media, with even X’s owner Elon Musk weighing in on the incredible moment.
And Dikec has revealed the real reason why he is choosing not to wear standard kit after making headlines around the world during his fifth Olympic appearance.
“I never needed that equipment,” the 51-year-old told Haber Turk.
“I’m a natural shooter. That’s why I don’t use a lot of accessories.”
Turkish silver medallist Yusuf Dikec (pictured), 51, has revealed why he doesn’t use special equipment in the 10m air pistol shooting
Dikec, together with his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, won the silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event
The viral photo emerged after South Korea’s Kim Ye-ji was named “the coolest person ever” during her photoshoot.
The 31-year-old pistol shooter won a silver medal in the women’s 10m air pistol on Sunday, just behind her compatriot Oh Ye-jin.
But it was Kim’s style and precision that impressed viewers most of all.
Kim was widely described as “tough” as she wore special shooting glasses and a white baseball cap while holding her daughter’s stuffed elephant in her non-shooting hand.
South Korea’s Kim Ye-ji will be at the Olympics on Sunday. She went viral this week for her lack of reaction after winning gold and setting a world record in May
Your browser does not support iframes.
Since Kim won her first Olympic medal on Sunday, footage of her in action at the World Shooting Championships in Baku in May has gone viral on social media.
The video in question shows Kim winning gold in the 25-meter pistol competition in Baku, setting a new world record.
One viewer commented on the viral video, “This is the coolest thing anyone has ever seen breaking a world record.”
Another replied: ‘This is the coldest s***. I’m obsessed’
A third comment read: ‘And she’s so nonchalant about it, oh, she’s the coolest lead character ever.’