"Shooting Like a Retired Soldier"…Sharpshooter Wins Silver Medal Casually with Hands in Pockets [Paris Olympics]

Winning the First Olympic Medal in Barehanded Competition Without Equipment Like Earplugs...

A Turkish athlete who won the silver medal in the mixed team 10m air pistol event at the 2024 Paris Olympics is gaining attention. This is because he competed without any special equipment such as earplugs, relying solely on his bare body, and achieved excellent results.

On the 31st (local time), foreign media including the US USA Today reported, "The Turkish shooting athlete is gaining popularity for winning a silver medal while wearing only limited equipment," sharing social media reactions about shooting athlete Yusuf Dikeci (51).

Yusuf Dikeci's game footage spreading on X (formerly Twitter). [Image source=Captured from X]

The day before, Dikeci, paired with Selvaida Tarhan, took 2nd place in the mixed team 10m air pistol event, earning a silver medal.

After the competition, Dikeci's performance spread as a meme on social media. While Olympic shooting athletes usually wear shooting earplugs or special protective glasses during competitions, Dikeci appeared wearing only regular glasses and small earplugs the size of earbuds. He also wore a plain white T-shirt and competed with one hand in his pocket, contrasting with other athletes equipped with various advanced gear.

USA Today reported, "A photo of an Olympic shooting athlete not wearing the special goggles or earplugs commonly seen among competitors has been shared on social media, causing a stir," adding, "Dikeci won most of his matches wearing regular prescription glasses and earplugs."

Born in 1973, Dikeci is a retired soldier who enlisted as a non-commissioned officer in the Turkish Gendarmerie in 1994 and served for six years. He has competed since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and this Olympic silver medal is his first medal at the Olympics.