A conspicuously dressed-down shooter gained Olympic silver. Then he went viral

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Olympic shooters have been getting a lot of consideration for his or her cyberpunk-looking gear. However one is standing out for his decidedly lower-tech look — and the truth that he bought to the rostrum nonetheless.

On Tuesday, Turkey’s Yusuf Dikec shot his solution to a silver medal within the air pistol blended group competitors, and to on the spot on-line fame. His profitable high quality, the web determined, was his seeming nonchalance.

Whereas a lot of Dikec’s rivals have been decked out in giant ear protectors, visors and sci fi-esque taking pictures glasses, he performed it a unique type of cool with common eyeglasses and barely seen ear plugs.

Sporting a jersey that appeared like an atypical T-shirt, and taking pictures together with his free hand tucked in his pants pocket, the 51-year-old gave off a noticeably informal vibe.

So informal, in truth, that scores of social media customers jokingly questioned whether or not Turkey had despatched a hitman to the Olympics. Some praised his aura as “infinite,” others as “insane.”

And plenty of drew a distinction between Dikec and South Korean shooter Kim Yeji, whose futuristic aesthetic and unflappable demeanor made her an in a single day type sensation earlier this week.

Memes joked that the 2 embodied the distinction between Google Sheets vs. Microsoft Excel, males vs. ladies packing for a visit and anime protagonist vs. just lately divorced engineer, to call a couple of.

“South Korea sent a fully-kitted out player for the Olympic shooting,” learn one viral tweet. “Turkey sent [a] guy with no specialized lenses, eye cover or ear protection and got the silver medal.”

Dikec and his teammate, Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, gained silver within the blended group 10-meter air pistol occasion, bringing residence Turkey’s first-ever medal in Olympic taking pictures.

He positioned thirteenth in his particular person occasion, and is already waiting for his subsequent Olympics.

“I hope next in Los Angeles (for) a gold medal,” he stated afterward, based on the Related Press.

The previous officer loves dancing and cats

That is Dikec’s fifth Olympics — he has competed in taking pictures occasions in each Summer time Video games since 2008.

He’s additionally a seven-time European champion and 2014 double world champion within the 25m normal pistol and 25m centerfire pistol, based on his Olympics biography.

Dikec’s bio says he took up taking pictures in 2001 after he began working as a non-commissioned officer for the Gendarmerie Normal Command (an armed legislation enforcement group in Turkey).

His present occupation is listed as “athlete,” and EuroNews studies that he retired from the Gendarmerie.

Dikec lists precisely one interest on his bio web page: dancing. He’s additionally a cat lover, as social media sleuths shortly found.

His philosophy, sarcastically, is, “Success would not come together with your arms in your pockets.”

His distinctive type comes down to non-public desire

Sevval Ilayda Tarhan and Yusuf Dikec pose with the Turkish flag and their silver medals beneath the Eiffel Tower on Wednesday.

Miguel Medina/AFP by way of Getty Photos

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Miguel Medina/AFP by way of Getty Photos

Capturing glasses — a customizable combo of a lens, mechanical iris and blinders that collectively will help athletes higher line up their mark — have grow to be fairly normal in recent times, although clearly not all athletes are required to make use of them.

Dikec advised Turkish radio station Radyo Gol that whereas most shooters use one eye, he prefers to make use of each.

“Shooting with two eyes — I believe that it’s better,” he stated, based on a translation from CNN. “I’ve done a lot of research on it, so I didn’t need the equipment.”

Chinese language rifle shooter Liu Yukun gained a gold medal Thursday with a equally sparse set of drugs, the AP notes — simply earplugs, with no blinder or visor.

And Dikec is not the one athlete who shoots together with his different hand in his pocket. He advised the radio station that it’s a matter of feeling extra motivated and cozy.

The stance “is actually about bringing the body to equilibrium and focusing and concentrating,” he added.

Dikec appears to be taking his social media stardom in stride, reposting a number of memes to his Instagram web page (and, in fact, a photograph of his silver medal). He has additionally continued to defend his type.

EuroNews studies that he advised the Turkish press: “I did not need special equipment. I’m a natural, a natural shooter.”