PARIS: A Turkish Olympic shooting silver medallist instantly became an internet sensation with his laid-back style, sporting no headwear and keeping a hand in his pocket, however, he said Thursday he was unfazed by his new-found fame.
Yusuf Dikec and partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan won silver on Tuesday for Turkey in the mixed team 10m air pistol, losing to Serbia in the gold medal match.
But it was Dikec’s posture that caught attention as much as the result, with the marksman wearing standard glasses, a team T-shirt and with his left hand casually slung in his pocket.
Other than his pistol, he notably had none of the specialised equipment used by athletes in the hyper-precise event, like headphones, special lenses or a hat.
"Be cool like Yusuf Dikec. Congratulations on winning the silver medal in such a cool way," France’s embassy to Turkey wrote in a post on X in Turkish.
"The name’s Dikec. Yusuf Dikec," said posts by other users in reference to cinema icon James Bond. Some memes added a cigarette to his mouth to emphasise the relaxed posture.
Speaking to Turkish channel TGRT Haber, Dikec acknowledged that he had adopted the rare technique of shooting with both eyes open whereas most athletes keep one closed or obscured.
"My shooting technique is one of the rare shooting techniques in the world. I shoot with both eyes open. Even the referees are surprised by this," he said.
He said winning a medal was no surprise as "this year we prepared a lot and worked a lot... this success belongs to all of Turkey."
"Success doesn’t come with your hands in your pockets."
Some social media users suggested equal attention should also be given to his shooting partner in the mixed event Tarhan, who images showed adopted an equally casual hand-in-pocket stance, albeit wearing headphones and a visor.
Turkish Sports Minister Osman Askin Bak congratulated Dikec on social media, posting a photo of him recreating his now "legendary pose".
Clutching a Turkish flag and their medals, Dikec and Tarhan both celebrated their victory at the Champions Park at the Trocadero complex in Paris on Wednesday.
