My Would Turkey’s Yusuf Dikec do better with the most up-to-date shooting technology, or would he lose his edge? Only asking because he forwent any special eyewear or headphone ear protection at the Summer Olympics in Paris, opting to pull up in what looked like a football/soccer jersey, standard-issue spectacles, and one hand in his pocket.
That old-school approach translated to a silver medal!
No fancy lenses. No headphones. Just vibes.
Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec was cool as a cucumber en route to silver in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team. 😎 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/p7yu1hXl5x
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 1, 2024
A new character in Olympics shooting has been unlocked…
First we had South Korea's Kim Yeji, now meet Turkish Olympic shooter Yusuf Dikec.
No special lenses, no ear defenders, just a hand in the pocket.#BBCOlympics #Paris2024 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/d8J90nOlIK
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 1, 2024
Turkish Chief Warrant Officer Yusuf Dikeç gained attention for his relaxed demeanor during the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Competing without headphones or specialized equipment, he and teammate Şevval İlayda Tarhan earned a silver medal. pic.twitter.com/7egOKc5wm4
— Infornex (@infornexmedia) August 1, 2024
To give you an idea of what other competitive shooters do, here’s a collection of images:
In Olympic shooting, they use equipment like:
> A lens to avoid blur
> A lens for better precision
> ear protectors for noiseThen a Turkish guy (Dikeç) came and won a silver medal with just a pair of GLASSES. pic.twitter.com/tobbeIifiS
— Turkish Archives (@TurkishArc) July 31, 2024
Arching your back to shoot a gun is actually wild 💀 pic.twitter.com/wZ4dNxmAqb
— Kaysha Richardson🎙️ (@Kaysharic) July 31, 2024
I know everyone is loving the South Korean pistol shooter in the Olympics with robocop vibes. I present you the Turkish pistol shooter. 51 years old. Flip flops, hands in pocket. He would’ve lit a cigarette if he could. My vibe.
(He got🥈btw)#OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/MrnO8Q5oiy
— Kerem (@kerem) July 31, 2024
One of the most straightforward — straight shooting? — but profound quotes I’ve heard in a while came courtesy of Dikec when he discussed his unique approach to the Olympics.
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.
“I did not need special equipment. I'm a natural, a natural shooter” pic.twitter.com/cTF6dJ2yD5
— kira 👾 (@kirawontmiss) August 1, 2024
Really doesn’t get much cooler than this guy. He looks like he could totally be an undercover operative. I’m not so sure he isn’t in his normal life when he’s not busy training for the Olympics and winning medals.
My Big J Journo research on X/Twitter seems to confirm that Dikec is a cat person, which I guess if you’re a big dog person is about the only red flag/character trait you could poke fun at or take issue with.
Yusuf Dikec is a cat person! pic.twitter.com/AHueuXbl2k
— Punch Cat (@PunchingCat) August 1, 2024
Dikec is a retired military officer of Turkey’s Gendarmerie General Command. Across a medley of major international shooting competitions, he’s collected a whopping 10 gold medal, including two at the World Championships and five at the European Championships. He’s had a total of 16 other podium finishes. Most impressive.
Not many men on the planet you’d less want to encounter in a gunfight than Dikec. He’s like a modern-day, throwback Old West duelist to use an American analogy. No fancy tech. No opulent getup. Just pointing, shooting, and beating the vast majority of the competition at the Summer Olympics.
People are saying that Dikec didn’t have any ear protection whatsoever, but I feel like he has at least some kind of itty-bitty earplugs in. Nevertheless, I respect his approach to the game, and that’s far less than his adversaries wear. Just praying on his behalf that he doesn’t have a raging case of tinnitus.
