Casual Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec goes viral; teammate says he deserved it

CHATEAUROUX, France (Reuters) – Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec has become a social media sensation for his nonchalance on the shooting range at the Paris Olympics.

Dikec, a former officer in the Turkish gendarmerie, won silver in the mixed team 10m air pistol event on Tuesday together with Sevval Ilayda Tarhan.

However, it was the casual attire of the 51-year-old who shot with his other hand in his pocket at the Chateauroux shooting range that sparked countless memes.

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Be cool like Yusuf Dikec, the French embassy in Turkey wrote in a post on X.

While most pistol shooters wear scopes, thick ear protection and shooting lenses with blinders to block out distractions and improve focus, Dikec wore only yellow earplugs when he hit the range.

His silver hair, intense gaze, regular glasses and shirt that looked like a regular T-shirt intrigued internet users.

Even the common custom among pistol shooters of shooting with the non-shooting hand in the pocket was seen as part of Dikec’s nonchalant charm.

Dikec has since returned to Turkey and has not responded to Reuters’ reports seeking his reaction to his global fame. However, teammate Tarhan says he earned his celebrity status overnight.

I’m proud of him, but it’s not like he doesn’t have equipment, the 24-year-old told Reuters on Friday.

He is used to shooting with regular glasses and doesn’t need any extra gear. It’s a personal thing and he feels comfortable with it.

The Internet is raving about Dikec, who has not missed an Olympic Games since his debut in Beijing in 2008.

Tarhan agreed that Dikec fit the description of “cool.”

But at the same time, he is very warm to people close to him, she said. “You can joke with him, share everything with him.”

I’m glad he’s getting the attention, she said.

Dikec himself seems surprised, but also a little bewildered, by the internet storm.

I didn’t expect to receive such recognition, he told Turkish media upon his arrival in the country.

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

And Dikec isn’t done with the Olympics yet: Tarhan has confirmed that they will be chasing gold again in Los Angeles in four years’ time.

We were hoping to win gold here too, and we’re one of the best pistol teams, she said. “Hopefully we’ll win it in Los Angeles.”