Viral Turkish shooter says calm demeanour belied the storm within

Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec went viral for his cool, calm demeanour at the Paris Olympics, but said there were “storms” within him as he won silver in the mixed team 10-meter air pistol event.

His nonchalant pose, with his non-shooting hand casually tucked into his pocket, sparked a flurry of memes and won a legion fans online – as well as eliciting a tribute from pole vault great Mondo Duplantis and banter with Elon Musk.

He eschewed the high-tech gear of his competitors, opting for a simple yellow ear plug and regular glasses as he and Sevval Ilayda Tarhan secured their podium finish.

“At that moment, everyone says I seemed very calm, but actually, storms were raging inside me,” said Dikec, a former Turkish Gendarmerie officer.

“I think my shooting pose represented the Olympic spirit very well: the fair play, simplicity, clarity, and naturalness. That’s why it got so much attention.”

Dikec’s fame was further amplified by his interactions with Elon Musk on social media platform X.

Sharing a photo from the Olympics, Dikec said: “Hi Elon, do you think future robots can win medals at the Olympics with their hands in their pockets? How about discussing this in Istanbul, the cultural capital that unites continents? @elonmusk.”

Musk responded: “Robots will hit the center of the bullseye every time.”

Swedish pole vaulter Duplantis emulated Dikec’s distinctive shooting pose following his own victory, when he broke the world record.

“It’s nice to see that kind hearted people feel close to each other,” Dikec said.

Regarding his career goals, Dikec confidently stated: “My partner and I will get the gold at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.”

He said he told the gold medallist, Serbia’s Damir Mikec, “I’ve only lent you the gold medal until 2028”.