An Olympic athlete has gone viral for his cool and composed demeanor in Tuesday’s shooting competition, during which he rejected using the specialized equipment many of his opponents did, The Daily Mail reported.
Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikeç, 51, claimed the silver medal along with his teammate Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, 24, during the air pistol mixed competition earlier this week. Many of the duo’s competitors used equipment to aid their performance, such as ear protection and glasses with tinted lenses that obscure vision in one eye so that athletes don’t need to squint. But Dikeç made headlines for his nonchalant, pared-down approach to the sport.
Wearing a jersey from his home country and what appeared to be prescription glasses, Dikeç kept both eyes open and a hand in his pocket as he performed. His understated approach won Turkey its first Olympic medal for shooting.
“I shoot with both eyes, most shooters do it with one,” he told Turkey’s Radyo Gol (via CNN). “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.”
The 51-year-old Turkish athlete Yusuf Dikeç makes a statement about going viral for competing at the Olympics without specialized equipment and winning a silver medal.
— kira ???? (@kirawontmiss) August 1, 2024
“I did not need special equipment. I'm a natural, a natural shooter” pic.twitter.com/cTF6dJ2yD5
Dikeç went on to explain that his jaunty hand placement had nothing to do with showmanship or the audience’s enjoyment, but rather “about bringing the body to equilibrium and focusing and concentrating.”
“Shooting with my hand in my pocket has nothing to do with artistry,” he added. “I am more motivated and feel more comfortable while shooting.”
Dikeç’s display was particularly striking when contrasted with that of shooting superstar Kim Ye-ji, who took the silver medal at last Sunday’s shooting competition. Whereas Dikeç looked a bit like anyone’s dad at a barbeque, Ye-ji’s wardrobe and demeanor earned her comparisons to a steampunk comic book character. Olympic officials even acknowledged the disparity in a winking post, calling Ye-ji and Dikeç “the Olympic shooting sport stars we didn’t know we needed.”
The Olympic #shootingsport stars we didn’t know we needed.
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 1, 2024
???????? Kim Yeji ???? Yusuf Dikeç ???????? pic.twitter.com/gfkyGjFg4I
