‘I'm a natural shooter’: Yusuf Dikec on viral outing in Paris Olympics 2024

Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec has opened up on competing at the Paris Olympics 2024 without specialised equipment.

The 51-year-old went viral after he won a silver medal in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event a day earlier.

A photo of Yusuf Dikec took the internet by storm showing him sporting his regular pair of glasses and earplugs without any specialised gear as he put one hand in his pocket while shooting with the other.

Social media users hailed the Turkish shooter for his unconventional and calm approach to the competition.

Now, Dikec opened up on winning silver media despite ditching the specialised equipment at the Paris Olympics 2024.

“I did not need special equipment. I am a natural, a natural shooter,” Dikec told Turkish media.

“Success doesn’t come with your hands in your pockets,” he was quoted as saying.

Dikeç and his partner Şevval İlayda Tarhan were pipped to the gold by Serbian duo Zorana Arunović and Damir Mikec.

However, he became an internet sensation for opting to compete in his regular attire without using specialised glasses to enhance precision and prevent blurring, along with ear protectors to cancel out noise.

Following his rise to fame, The Olympic Games also praised the Turkish shooter and South Korea’s Kim Yeji for their unconventional approach to the top games.

“The Olympic #shootingsport stars we didn’t know we needed,” it wrote in post on X.

It is pertinent to mention that Yusuf Dikec is a seasoned Olympian and has represented Turkey in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

A retired non-commissioned officer of the Turkish Gendarmerie, the seasoned sports shooter won a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup Final in Thailand in 2012.