The Turkish pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec has become the latest athlete to go viral at the Paris Olympics after taking home the silver medal.
Dikec, 51, has earned himself fans from all over the globe with his seemingly casual attitude while shooting. After winning the silver, Dikec had the perfect response, which has only made fans love him even more.
Dikec Goes Viral
While competing in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event, Dikec rocked just prescription glasses and a t-shirt. He appeared to be as cool as can be as he kept his non-shooting hand in his pocket during the competition. Dikec ultimately managed to win a silver medal alongside Sevval Ilayda Tarhan
Unlike many of his competitors, Dikec didn’t opt to use any fancy contraptions while competing. Instead, he kept things simple and natural. Afterwards, Dikec had the perfect response to his medal win.
“I did not need special equipment. I’m a natural; a natural shooter,” he said.
“Success doesn’t come with your hands in your pockets,” Dikec added. However, it’s safe to say that his silver medal would suggest otherwise!
Watch Dikec compete – hand in pocket – for yourself:
‘I Didn’t Need The Equipment’
Dikec has competed at every Summer Olympics since 2008. He is a seven-time European champion and 2014 double world champion in the 25m standard pistol and 25m centerfire pistol, according to his Olympics biography.
The silver medal that Dikec won with Tarhan was Turkey’s first-ever medal in Olympic shooting. Mikec and Zorana Arunovic won gold for Serbia, while the bronze went to India’s Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh.
Though most shooters use one eye to shoot, Dikec prefers to use both of his.
“Shooting with two eyes — I believe that it’s better,” he said, according to a translation from CNN. “I’ve done a lot of research on it, so I didn’t need the equipment.”
Dikec finished in 13th place in the individual event. With the Paris Olympics now behind him, Dikec is already looking forward to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
“I hope next in Los Angeles (for) a gold medal,” he said on Tuesday.
Related: Paris Olympics Attendees Should Get Ready To Pay Top Dollar For Fake Beer Thanks To Wild French Law
Dikec’s History
Dikec reportedly took up shooting back in 2001, after he started working as a non-commissioned officer for the Gendarmerie General Command. This is an armed law enforcement organization in Turkey. He has since retired, and his official occupation is listed as “athlete.”
Dikec’s favorite hobby is dancing, and social media users have found that he’s a cat-lover. Ironically, his motto in life is, “Success doesn’t come with your hands in your pockets.”
In this case, however, it definitely did!
More about:Athletics
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