Step aside, traditional Olympians — there’s a new legend in town! Meet Yusuf Dikec, the Turkish air pistol shooter who took the 2024 Paris Olympics by storm with his unorthodox style.
At 51 years old, the shooter sparked a social media frenzy after a photo of him competing in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event went viral.
Yusuf, alongside his partner, Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, 24, clinched the silver medal in the intense showdown on Tuesday, July 30. But what really captured the world’s attention was not only Yusuf’s sharpshooting skills but also his nonchalant attitude.
Amid a sea of athletes wearing specialized shooting gear, the Turkish Olympian stood out with his regular prescription glasses, earplugs, and a casual hand-in-pocket stance. Yes, that’s right—he had one hand coolly tucked away as if he were taking a leisurely stroll rather than competing on the world stage.
Olympic shooters are typically seen with ear protection and special glasses that help them focus by obscuring one eye and reducing glare. But the Turkish silver-medalist ditched the high-tech gear and still managed to outperform most of his competitors.
His style and swagger led to a wave of admiration and humorous speculation on social media. Some joked about whether he was a hitman in real life.
“Turkey sent a 51-year-old dude with no specialized lenses, eye cover, or ear protection, and secured the silver medal,” read one comment on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“I know a trained assassin when I see one,” another chimed in.
One jokingly asked, “Did Turkey send a hitman to the Olympics?”
“Insane aura,” another said. “51-yr old Yusuf Dikec of Turkey shows up to the Olympics for shooting without special lenses… without ear protection… hand in his pocket & both eyes open… and casually takes home a silver medal.”
Yusuf’s performance in Paris was his fifth time competing in the Olympic Games. His very first appearance was in Beijing in 2008. “I took up shooting sport after I started working as a non-commissioned officer for the Gendarmerie General Command,” he said, according to his Olympics profile. He also said he believes in the philosophy: “Success doesn’t come with your hands in your pockets.”
The 51-year-old and his partner, Sevval, narrowly missed out on the gold medal, with a final score of 16-14 in this week’s Olympic event. Serbia’s Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec won gold, while Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh from India took home the bronze.
After walking away with the coveted silver medal, the Turkish shooting star posted a message on Instagram to share his happiness with his audience. “I am very happy that we have won the first Olympic medal in the history of the republic to my country of 85 million people who sent us off with their prayers. This medal belongs to the REPUBLIC OF TURKEY,” read a translation of his post.
His partner, Sevval, has previously spoken about wanting to be one of her country’s greatest athletes and to participate in at least 10 Olympic Games. The youngster said she took up the sport in February 2015 because she wanted to be a soldier.
“I want to be one of the greatest athletes in Turkiye. I want to be such a great athlete that my photo will be printed on the cover page of Times magazine. I want to participate in at least 10 Olympic Games and get medals in at least five of them. I want to show that women can achieve many things in this world,” she was quoted saying in an interview last year.
She also revealed that she doesn’t believe in any specific “ritual” to achieve success but simply believes in being a “good person.”
“I don’t believe in superstitions or rituals. Be a good person and think positively and everything will work out for you,” she said. The 24-year-old Turkish sports star said her mother is one of her biggest influences in life. “Besides being my mother, she is my best friend and supporter,” she added.
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