After already unfurling an iconic quote, viral Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec has another one in his holster.
In the aftermath of the 2024 Olympics, Dikec opened up about his famously casual yet serious shooting style.
“At that moment, everyone says I seemed very calm, but actually, storms were raging inside me,” Dikec told Reuters. “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, 51, finished second in the 10-meter pistol mixed team event, competing with teammate Sevval Ilayda Tarhan.
The pair lost, 16-14, to Serbia’s Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec in the final.
Although Dikec and Turkey didn’t notch first place, he may have won the real prize: internet immortality.
Subsequent to his performance, Dikec offered a quote that became an instant sensation.
“I did not need special equipment,” Dikec said. “I’m a natural, a natural shooter.”
Dikec’s nonchalant approach led some to joke whether he was an actual Olympic participant or a random competitor sent to represent Turkey, though he’s actually been in every Games since 2008.
Others joked that Dikec finished in second, not first, in order to avoid raising further suspicion.
Dikec’s pose and comments continued to reverberate throughout social media as well as even the Paris Games themselves, with athletes like world record-breaking pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis recreating Dikec’s pose after his feat.
Even fellow Turkish competitors, like women’s boxing medalists Esra Yildiz Kahraman and Hatice Akbas, mimicked Dikec’s posture.
The shooter has also gained notoriety on social media, regularly receiving tens of thousands of likes on his every new post on X.
Ultimately, Dikec provided one of the most unforgettable stories from the action in Paris, joining the likes of Stephen Curry’s bonanza in the men’s basketball gold medal game and Leon Marchand racking up four gold medals.