Olympic Games fans have gone into meltdown on social media over a photo of Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec competing in the 10-metre air pistol mixed team event in Paris.
The 51-year-old and his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan claimed the silver medal, but it was Dikec’s unconventional approach to the competition that has seen his image go viral.
Dikec shot to fame after a photo was shared to social media of him competing in a uncharacteristically relaxed manner without the typical shooting gear – and one hand in his pocket.
Most shooters at the Olympic Games use ear protection when they shoot and don specialised glasses that obscure the vision in one eye so competitors don’t have to keep it closed, and sometimes feature tinted lenses to help with glare.
‘Turkey sent a 51-year-old dude with no specialized lenses, eye cover, or ear protection, and secured the silver medal,’ posted one fan to X – to which billionaire Elon Musk responded, ‘Nice’.
‘I know a trained assassin when I see one,’ joked another.
‘Did Turkey send a hitman to the Olympics?’ posted another.
A fourth wrote: ‘Turkey Government: We have a different kind of job for you this week.’
Turkish silver medalist Yusuf Dikec (pictured), 51, has gone viral for his incredibly relaxed preparation and attitude at the Paris Games
Dikec, alongside his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, claimed the silver medal in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event
Some commenters joked that Dikec came across like an assassin with his ice cold display
Social media was flooded with comments like the one pictured above
Sports fans thought Dikec
Dikec is in his fifth Olympic Games, and he and his partner narrowly missed out on the gold medal with a final score of 16-14.
The viral pic comes after South Korean Kim Ye-ji was dubbed ‘the coolest person ever’ during her shooting event.
The 31-year-old pistol shooter won a silver medal on Sunday in the women’s 10 metre air pistol event when she finished just behind compatriot Oh Ye-jin.
But it was Kim’s style as much as her accuracy that really impressed the viewers.
Kim was widely described as looking ‘badass’ as she rocked a bespoke pair of shooting glasses and a white baseball cap, while carrying her daughter’s stuffed toy elephant in her non-shooting hand.
Since Kim won her first Olympic medal on Sunday, footage of her in action at May’s shooting World Cup in Baku has gone viral via social media.
The video in question showed Kim winning gold in Baku in the 25m pistol competition, setting a new world record in the process.
Commenting on the viral video, one viewer wrote: ‘This is the coolest anyone has ever looked while breaking a world record’.
Another replied: ‘This is the coldest s***. I’m obsessed’
A third comment read: ‘And she’s nonchalant about it, oh she’s the coldest main character out there’.
