Turkey’s understated Olympic shooter Yusuf Dikeç bags silver medal and goes viral for ‘insane aura’
By Amy Woodyatt, Patrick Sung and Gul Tuysuz, CNN
(CNN) — In an Olympic competition where participants generally use all the available equipment at their disposal to get ahead, Turkey’s Yusuf Dikeç offered a masterclass in nonchalance during the air pistol mixed team competition Tuesday – and went viral for it.
While his opponents took to the competition with specialized equipment – custom glasses to obscure vision in one eye, large ear protection and tinted lenses – Dikeç managed to claim Turkey’s first ever Olympic medal in shooting with teammate Sevval Ilayda Tarhan in what looked to be his everyday glasses and one hand in his pocket.
“I shoot with both eyes, most shooters do it with one. So I didn’t want that all that equipment. Shooting with two eyes — I believe that it’s better. I’ve done a lot of research on it, so I didn’t need the equipment,” Dikeç told Turkish radio station Radyo Gol.
“Shooting with my hand in my pocket has nothing to do with artistry. I am more motivated and feel more comfortable while shooting,” he said, adding that this stance “is actually about bringing the body to equilibrium and focusing and concentrating.”
Photos of the casual 51 year-old went viral – not least because of the stark comparison to pictures of Olympic shooting superstar Kim Ye-ji, whose cap, futuristic glasses and calm composure wouldn’t look out of place on a street style-inspired runway.
Kim won silver at the 10-meter air pistol event on Sunday, with her 19-year-old teammate Oh Ye Jin taking the gold.
One social media user said of Dikeç, “Top confidence. A hand in the pocket. No specialized lenses, no problem. Too easy for a him.”
Another lauded his “insane aura,” while Mexican outlet Diario Récord wrote, “At 51 years old, he competed in the Olympic Games as if he were on the patio at his home!”
After securing the silver, Dikeç said: “I’m very happy. An Olympic medal is an Olympic medal, and in Los Angeles [at the 2028 Games], hopefully, it’s a gold medal,”
Serbia’s Zorana Arunović and Damir Mikec took the gold, while India’s Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh took bronze in the nail-biting competition, but all of the fanfare and plaudits from social media went to Dikeç.
If his shooting skills weren’t enough, Dikeç was also winning fans over for his being a “cat person,” which people found out as they scrolled through his Instagram page.
It’s safe to say that these Games are creating plenty of sporting heroes and legends, both on and off the competitive field.
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