Bhubaneswar: Turkish pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec, viral on social media platforms for his flawless victory in 10-metre air pistol shooting at the Paris Olympics Games on Tuesday, is currently basking in the global spotlight.
The 51-year-old Olympian took to Instagram to repost a video compilation of Turkish-language memes about him, embracing his celebration around the world as giving the “main character energy”.
Dikec became a global sensation after Tuesday’s event when he appeared at the elite Games dressed casually in a plain T-shirt. Unlike other competitors, he was not wearing any protective gear and special lenses while competing in the mixed team 10-metre air pistol shooting, which captured widespread attention globally.
He and his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan won the silver medal at the event, in which India’s Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh secured bronze. “I hope next in Los Angeles (for) a gold medal,” he said Tuesday, referring to the 2028 Summer Games.
Born in 1973, Dikec has been in every Summer Olympics Games since 2008. In the ongoing Paris Games, he also participated in the 10m Air Pistol Men, in which he secured 13 rank, the Paris Olympics website shows. The website mentions that Dikec’s hobbies include dancing.
Dikec took up shooting after he “started working as a non-commissioned officer for the Gendarmerie General Command,” the website reads.
Dikec, who recently took up shooting after a particularly heated argument with his ex-wife, credits his success to his newfound passion for seeing his kids and a relentless drive to prove his ex wrong. “I never thought I’d be here,” Dikec said, shrugging nonchalantly. “I was just aiming for a weekend with the kids.”
Dikec, who works as a mechanic in a small garage in Istanbul, first picked up a gun during a particularly frustrating divorce mediation. He began competing in shooting in 2001.
His unorthodox approach – no specialty gear, no training regimen, and a wardrobe consisting of his everyday jeans and a T-shirt – has baffled professional shooters. “He just shows up, shoots a near perfect round, and then asks if there’s a smoking area nearby.”
After winning silver, he stood emotionless on the Olympic podium and declared, “Sharon, if you’re watching this, I want my dog back.”
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