Even the horrifying state of U.S. politics isn’t enough to entirely distract from the Olympic events, which are serving as a vital diversion in the midst of a historic and terrifying year.
Some events — and Olympians — are accomplishing that job better than others, but none of the competition has quite reached the heights of Turkish athlete Yusuf Dikec. Dikec took home the silver medal in shooting and the gold medal in nonchalance following his stunning performance at the games, and became a viral moment in the process.
Who is Yusuf Dikec?
On July 30, the fifth full day of the 2024 Olympic events, a casual, utterly unbothered Turkish competitor sauntered onto screens, and into hearts across the globe. While his competition was relying on protective and performance-enhancing gear, he was sporting no ear coverings or eye lenses, and making his shot with one hand informally stuffed in his pocket.
As a result of this unbothered king unceremoniously wiping the floor with the competition, Dikec has become an overnight icon. He went starkly viral in the wake of his silver medal victory, which he earned alongside his partner Şevval İlayda Tarhan, and Dikec quickly became a stand-out character from the Olympics.
The 51-year-old Olympian was born in the Kahramanmaraş Province of Turkey, and his skills in shooting were first developed when he attended military school. From there he went on to join the armed forces, serving one year in Istanbul, before earning his spot in the Turkish Gendarmerie’s official sports club.
That’s when the skills we saw on full display in that stunning Olympic show-down were truly born. Dikec’s been honing his sports shooting skills since 2001, competing consistently in both the national and military teams, and all that work payed off with his stellar showing at the 2024 Olympics.