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Turkey Olympics shooter goes viral for silver medal with limited gear: Social media reacts

austin curtright, usa today network
·3 min read

Turkish air pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec didn't need much but his legendary aura to win the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Tuesday.

Dikec, alongside his duos partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, took second place in the mixed team 10-meter air pistol event, although Dikec brought limited gear to the competition.

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Dikec went viral on Wednesday after a picture was shared to social media of him without specialized goggles or ear protection, a commonality among shooting competitors at the Olympics. Dikec instead wore regular prescription glasses and earplugs and was still able to defeat most of the competition.

The picture of Dikec, with limited gear plus his hand in his pocket while shooting, established him as an instant legend at the Paris Games. One picture of Yusuf has over 21 million views on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The viral photo comes after South Korean air pistol competitor Kim Yeji also went viral for looking like a movie star during her turn at the Olympics.

Jul 27, 2024; Chateauroux, France; Lihao Sheng and Yuting Huang (CHN) compete against Jihyeon Keum and Hajun Park (KOR) in the 10m air rifle mixed team gold medal match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Chateauroux Shooting Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 27, 2024; Chateauroux, France; Lihao Sheng and Yuting Huang (CHN) compete against Jihyeon Keum and Hajun Park (KOR) in the 10m air rifle mixed team gold medal match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Chateauroux Shooting Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports

The 51-year-old is in his fifth Olympic Games, dating back to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His silver medal Tuesday was his first medal ever at the Games.

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Here's how social media reacted to the Turkish air pistol star:

Turkey Olympic shooter: Social media reacts to silver medalist

Here's how social media reacted to Dikec, who went viral on social media Wednesday after winning a mixed team air pistol silver medal on Tuesday:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Social media reacts to viral Turkey Olympics air pistol shooter