Turkish marksman Yusuf Dikec became an online sensation after pictures of him competing in the 10 metre air pistol competition emerged
Turkish marksman Yusuf Dikec has spoken out since he became an online sensation at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Yusuf was representing Turkey at the 10 metre air pistol competition, a contest which had many fans commenting on the specialist eyewear that some athletes were sporting.
One such athlete was South Korea’s Kim Yeji, who wore glasses that covered her left eye, with the right eye having a special lens to help her.
With Yusuf, people were impressed for a very different reason as he showed up to shoot without any eyewear whatsoever, apart from his regular glasses.
Ilayda Tarhan and Yusuf Dikec. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
And it seems that Yusuf was such a deadeye shot that he didn’t need the specialist glasses.
Yusuf and his teammate Sevval Ilayda Tarhan took home the silver medal in the 10 metre air pistol.
Now, the marksman has spoken out for the first time since he became an online sensation.
Yusuf was understandably jubilant after his and his team’s medal, and promised to come back just as well in Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic Games.
He said: “I am just very happy about five Olympic Games. We were very strong today in our competition.”
And he and his teammate have their sights set (see what I did there) on a gold medal in 2028.
He said: “We next [come] to Los Angeles and win a gold medal.”
The Turkish marksman opted for no protective equipment at the 10 metre air pistol competition. (BBC)
Speaking of his lack of protection during the event, he told domestic Turkish media, as per EuroNews: “I did not need special equipment, I’m a natural, a natural shooter.”
And in another statement, he added: “Success doesn’t come with your hands in your pockets.”
Paris 2024 is Yusuf’s fifth outing at the Olympics, and while he didn’t have any visible equipment, he was wearing yellow earplugs to help muffle any distracting sounds.
He is a seasoned athlete, having been both a European and a World Champion.
Some athletes will wear additional headgear such as visors which help to reduce glare, or a blinder like Kim’s which helps to get a better focus for the eye looking down the sights.
Yusuf did have some equipment – earplugs to dampen distracting noise. (ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images)
People took to social media to talk about him, with one saying: “I love how everyone uses specialized lenses for shooting to avoid blur and increase precision…
“But then Turkey sends out a guy who looks like he just picked up the gun for fun and wins silver.”
Another joked: “Did Turkey send a hitman to the Olympics?”
While he may have appeared cool as a cucumber, his teammate Sevval revealed this was far from the case, saying: “He had so much anxiety, so much pressure on his heart.
“Our heartbeat is really beating. Is really so much beating. It is really hard to shoot in the final of the Olympic games.”
