Olympics-Shooting-Casual Turkish shooter goes viral, teammate says he earned it

By Amlan Chakraborty

CHATEAUROUX, France (Reuters) - Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec has become a social media sensation for his nonchalance at the shooting range at the Paris Olympics.

A former officer of the Turkish Gendarmerie, Dikec combined with Sevval Ilayda Tarhan to win the silver in the mixed team 10-metre air pistol event on Tuesday.

However, it was the 51-year-old's casual attire as he fired with his other hand in pocket at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre that prompted the myriad of memes.

"Be cool like Yusuf Dikec," the French embassy in Turkey wrote in a post on X.

While most pistol shooters wear visors, chunky ear-defenders and shooting lenses with a blinder to shut out distractions and enhance focus, Dikec had only an yellow ear plug in as he hit the range.

His silver hair, intense gaze, normal glasses and a jersey that looked like a regular t-shirt intrigued netizens.

Even the common practice among pistol shooters of firing with their non-shooting hand tucked in a pocket was seen as part of Dikec's nonchalant charm.

Dikec is already back in Turkey and did not reply to Reuters messages seeking his reaction to his global fame, but teammate Tarhan says he has earned his overnight celebrity status.

"I'm proud of him, but it's not that he does not have equipment," the 24-year-old told Reuters on Friday.

"He's used to shooting with regular glasses and does not need extra gear. It's a personal thing and he's comfortable that way."

The internet cannot stop gushing over Dikec, who has not missed an Olympics since his debut in Beijing in 2008.

Tarhan agreed Dikec fitted the description of "cool".

"But at the same time, he's very warm to people close to him," she said. "You can crack jokes with him, share anything with him."

"I'm happy to see him getting the attention," she said.

Dikec himself seems surprised, if a bit baffled, by the internet storm.

"I didn't anticipate such a level of recognition," he told Turkish media on his arrival in the country.

"Since I shoot with my both eyes open, I don't find the equipment very comfortable."

And Dikec is not done with Olympics yet, with Tarhan confirming they would be back hunting for the gold in Los Angeles in four years' time.

"We were hoping to win gold here too, and we are among the best pistol teams," she said. "Hopefully we'll win it in Los Angeles."

(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty; Editing by Alison Williams)