- Turkish gunman freaks social media out by playing casual
Social media has a new hero. Yusuf Dikec, 51, is a Turkish shooter who, with his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, won the silver medal in the mixed team air pistol event. While this is an impressive feat, it's not enough to achieve Olympic hero status in Paris. Dikec secured that through his unique demeanor on the shooting range. Images of his performance set social media ablaze.
Dikec's art is appearing extremely relaxed and casual, eschewing aids used by his competitors. The policeman doesn't need bulky headphones; he uses simple earplugs. He also forgoes eye protection, which covers one eye to aid in aiming. Then there's his stance. With one hand in his pocket and a model posture, he stands, tension-free. A social media user even posted a drawing in Japanese manga style, inspired by the Turkish man's stance.
Greetings via video from Paris
Another user tweeted: "Turkey sent a 51-year-old without special lenses, eye protection, or hearing protection and secured the silver medal." Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and world's richest person, who is omnipresent on social media, tweeted "Nice" in response to a photo of Dikec. Even in photos from the award ceremony or a short video clip where partner Tarhan speaks about the success, Dikec appears unruffled.
Dikec has been the top pistol shooter in Turkey for years and has extensive competition experience. He is a multiple world and European champion. In the final over the 10-meter distance, he and partner Tarhan lost to the Serbian duo Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec, despite being in the lead at one point. Nevertheless, the silver medal is Dikec's greatest achievement.
Sources: "X", "The Economist", "Watson"
Dikec's unique shooting style, devoid of conventional aids, earned him praise on social media. Another user celebrated his achievement, stating, "Turkey sent a 51-year-old without special lenses, eye protection, or hearing protection and secured the silver medal."
