Turkish air pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec made a memorable mark at the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning the silver medal in the mixed team 10-meter air pistol event on Tuesday, along with his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan. Despite bringing only minimal equipment, Dikec’s performance was stellar, quickly garnering viral attention.
A photo of Dikec went viral on Wednesday, showing him without the specialized goggles or ear protection commonly used by competitors. Instead, he wore regular prescription glasses and earplugs and still managed to outperform most of the field. The image, which shows Dikec with his hand casually in his pocket while shooting, has amassed over 21 million views on X (formerly Twitter), instantly cementing his legendary status at the Paris Games.
This viral moment follows another notable instance where South Korean air pistol competitor Kim Yeji gained attention for her movie star looks during her Olympic appearance. Dikec, competing in his fifth Olympic Games since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, celebrated his first-ever Olympic medal with the silver win on Tuesday.
Social media erupted with reactions to Dikec’s performance and iconic image, celebrating his achievement and unique approach to the sport.
Turkey sent a 51 yr old guy with no specialized lenses, eye cover or ear protection and got the silver medal pic.twitter.com/sFKcsRzvrw
— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) July 31, 2024
Yusuf Dikec is a cat person! pic.twitter.com/AHueuXbl2k
— Punch Cat (@PunchingCat) August 1, 2024
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) August 1, 2024
Pulp Fiction (1994) pic.twitter.com/E5m7GGfhvD
— Walden the Wizard (@waldenthewizard) July 31, 2024
The timeline in past 24 hours has been unreal pic.twitter.com/MXgEa9LrDj
— Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) July 31, 2024
Read more: Pakistan’s Athletes, Led by Arshad Nadeem, Ready for Paris Olympics 2024