Turkish air pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec has become a social media sensation after clinching the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. A striking photo of the 51-year-old athlete, casually taking aim with one hand in his pocket and minimal gear, has gone viral.
On X, a post featuring this photo has garnered an impressive 62 million views. “Turkey sent a 51 yr old guy with no specialized lenses, eye cover or ear protection and got the silver medal,” the caption read.
Turkey sent a 51 yr old guy with no specialized lenses, eye cover or ear protection and got the silver medal pic.twitter.com/sFKcsRzvrw
— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) July 31, 2024
Dikec stood out among other competitors in the air pistol mixed team event, who were equipped with high-tech gear such as specialized goggles, lenses, and ear protection. In contrast, Dikec appeared at the Paris Olympics in prescription glasses and standard earplugs, yet still managed to secure a silver medal with remarkable nonchalance.
South Korea sent a fully-kitted out player for the Olympic shooting. Turkey sent an 51-years-old guy with no specialized lenses, eye cover or ear protection and got the silver medal. pic.twitter.com/9tNgRMrLzn
— Creepy.org (@creepydotorg) July 31, 2024
Since the photo’s release, memes about Yusuf Dikec have flooded X and other social media platforms. Some playful posts included Excel-themed memes, and others humorously suggested that Turkey had sent a covert operative to the Olympics, intentionally avoiding gold to avoid suspicion.
Take a look at some of the best memes:
the senior dev who writes the feature in a day pic.twitter.com/9kXiJNwj6t
— sophie (@netcapgirl) July 31, 2024
5 screen setup vs using your laptop pic.twitter.com/I8AlHKKq13
— gaut (@0xgaut) July 31, 2024
girls packing for a trip vs guys packing for a trip pic.twitter.com/iL9K20Ni5J
— saltypickles (@nonpoccafe) July 31, 2024
Data An accountant
Scientists with excel pic.twitter.com/QZaVi74Aqm— Carlos Alberto Haro (@haro_ca_) July 31, 2024
google sheets excel pic.twitter.com/N1rT5nQcSG
— memes.xlsx (@ExcelHumor) August 1, 2024
On Tuesday, Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec of Serbia won the gold in the 10-metre air pistol mixed team event, narrowly defeating Turkey’s Sevval Ilayda Tarhan and Yusuf Dikec 16-14 at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre. India’s Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh earned the bronze, overcoming the South Korean duo Oh Ye-jin and Lee Won-ho 16-10, according to Reuters.
While Yusuf Dikec may have missed out on gold, his effortless swagger has certainly won over social media. This marks his fifth Olympic appearance and his first-ever medal.