Turkish Shooter Yusuf Dikec Goes Viral for Casual Style at Olympics

In a surprising turn of events, Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec has captured the attention of social media at the 2024 Olympics with his laid-back and casual attitude while competing for a medal.

Photos of Dikec have gone viral showing him shooting in just a T-shirt with one hand casually tucked in his pocket. He sported a standard pair of glasses and maintained an impassive expression on his face, making him look like an everyday guy rather than an Olympic athlete.

This 51-year-old shooter isn’t new to the Olympic stage; he has been a competitor in every Summer Olympics since 2008. Despite this being his first medal in Olympic shooting, he certainly made a memorable impression.

Dikec and his teammate, Savval Ilayda Tarhan, secured a silver medal in the mixed team 10-meter air pistol event on July 30, while the gold went to Serbia‘s Damir Mikec and Zorana Arunovic, and India took home the bronze with Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh.

Unlike Dikec’s carefree style, Tarhan donned typical shooting gear, complete with large ear defenders and a visor, while also showing off braided hair colored in red and white, reflecting the Turkish flag.

In individual events, Dikec placed 13th and has wrapped up his participation in the Paris Olympics. However, he is already looking ahead to the Los Angeles Games in 2028, aiming for that gold medal victory.

After winning the silver, Dikec seemed to embrace his newfound popularity, posting a compilation of Turkish memes about himself on Instagram.

The shooting events took place about three hours south of Paris in Chateauroux. Many shooters there usually wear visors to avoid light glare, and blinder covers over one eye to help focus better, but Dikec chose a more relaxed approach to his shooting gear.

Interestingly, there are others like Chinese rifle shooter Liu Yukun and South Korean pistol shooter Kim Yeji, who have also caught attention for their unique styles and confidence during the competition.