Yusuf Dikeç Explained

Yusuf Dikeç
Birth Date:1973 1, df=y
Birth Place:Göksun, Turkey
Education:Military and sport trainer
Alma Mater:Gazi University
Occupation:Gendarmerie NCO
Yearsactive:2001–present
Height:1.80 m
Weight:80 kg
Country:Turkey
Sport:Air pistol
Event:10 m air pistol, 50 m pistol
Club:Jandarma Gücü

Yusuf Dikeç (born 1 January 1973) is a Turkish sport shooter who competes in the pistol events. He is a retired non-commissioned officer of the Turkish Gendarmerie and a member of Jandarma Gücü Sports Club.[1] [2] He has been subject to overnight fame and various Internet memes due to his casual attire combined with minimal equipment during the 2024 Summer Olympics in which he won a silver medal in the 10 meter air pistol mixed team event alongside his teammate Şevval İlayda Tarhan. Dikeç used the following expression in his life philosophy on the official Olympic page: "Success doesn't come with your hands in your pockets."[3]

Early life

Yusuf Dikeç was born 1973 in Taşoluk village of Göksun district in Kahramanmaraş Province. After his primary schooling in his village, he completed his secondary education in Göksun. In 1994, he enrolled at the Military School of Gendarmerie in Ankara. After graduation, he became a corporal and entered duty in Mardin. In 1999, Dikeç re-entered the Military School of Gendarmerie. After one year, he graduated with the rank of sergeant serving in the Gendarmerie Special Public Security Command. He served one year in Istanbul, and then was appointed to Jandarma Gücü in Ankara, the sports club of the Turkish Gendarmerie.[4]

In 2001, he began sport shooting. Since then, Dikeç competes on the military national team as well as the national team. He was educated in physical education and sports at Gazi University in Ankara.

Sport career

Dikeç became the Turkish champion several times and is the national record holder in different categories of pistol events.

In 2006, he set a new world record in 25 m center-fire pistol event at the CISM Military World Championships held in Rena, Norway, scoring 597 points.[5]

Dikeç won the bronze medal in the 10 metre air pistol event at the 2012 ISSF World Cup Final held in Bangkok, Thailand.[6]

He first participated in the Olympics in Beijing representing Turkey in 2008, at age 35, and competed again in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024.[7] He qualified for participation in the 10 m air pistol men's event at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He also took part in the 50 m pistol event without advancing to the final round.[8]

At the 2013 European Shooting Championships held in Osijek, Croatia, from 21 July to 4 August, he became double gold medalist in 25 m standard pistol and 25 m center-fire pistol. He took also a silver medal in the 25 m standard team event with his teammates Fatih Kavruk and Murat Kılınç and another gold medal in the 25 m center-fire pistol team competition. In the 50 m pistol event, he won another silver medal with his teammates Ömer Alimoğlu and İsmail Keleş.

At the 2021 European Shooting Championships in Osijek, Croatia, he won the bronze medal with his teammates Serdar Demirel and İsmail Keleş in the 10 m Air Pistol Team event.

2024 Summer Olympics and going viral

Dikeç and his teammate Şevval İlayda Tarhan won the silver medal in the 10 m air pistol Mixed team event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, losing to the Serbian team of Zorana Arunović and Damir Mikec in the final. He thus became Turkey's oldest ever Olympic medallist, at the age of 51 years and 212 days.[9]

In this event, Dikeç went viral for his "seeming nonchalance" and "noticeably casual vibe". While many of his competitors wore large, bulky ear protectors, visors, and high-tech shooting glasses, Dikeç, at age 51, wore a jersey that resembled an ordinary T-shirt and regular eyeglasses, with barely noticeable earplugs, and shot with one hand casually tucked in his trouser pocket.[10] [11] [12] He was widely praised for his "aura" and charisma on social media.[13] Dikeç was compared to James Bond[14] or a hitman[15] on social media posts; Variety dubbed him the "Turkish John Wick."[16] Dikeç's casual appearance and his nonchalant pose became the subject of a number of Internet memes and were mimicked by other athletes at the Paris Olympics including Armand Duplantis, Nina Kennedy and Rojé Stona.[17] Dikeç embraced the memes, posting a compilation of them on his Instagram page.[18]

Achievements

Year! scope="col"
CompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2003European Military ChampionshipsPlzeň, Czech Republicbgcolor=silver 2nd
2004European Military ChampionshipsAnkara, Turkeybgcolor=silver 2nd
2005XV Mediterranean GamesAlmeria, Spainbgcolor=silver 2nd10 m air pistol585
Balkan ChampionshipsRomaniabgcolor=silver 2nd
2006CISM World ChampionshipsRena, Norwaybgcolor=gold 1st25 m center-fire pistol597 WR
2007Military World GamesHyderabad, Indiabgcolor=silver 2nd25 m rapid-fire pistol
Military OlympicsBrazilbgcolor=silver 2nd
2010CISM World ChampionshipsZagreb, Croatia3rd25 m center-fire pistol
2011ISSF World CupMunich, Germanybgcolor=gold 1st10 m air pistol687.3
ISSF World Cup FinalWrocław, Poland3rd10 m air pistol682.9
2012ISSF World CupMunich, Germany3rd10 m air pistol686.5
ISSF World Cup FinalBangkok, Thailand3rd10 m air pistol684.5
European ChampionshipsVierumäki, Finlandbgcolor=silver 2nd10 m pistol
European ChampionshipsVierumäki, Finlandbgcolor=silver 2nd10 m pistol team
2013XVII Mediterranean GamesMersin, Turkeybgcolor=silver 2nd10 m air pistol577
bgcolor=gold 1st50 m pistol555
European ChampionshipsOsijek, Croatiabgcolor=gold 1st25 m center-fire pistol590
bgcolor=gold 1st25 m center-fire pistol team1,741
bgcolor=gold 1st25 m standard pistol
bgcolor=silver 2nd25 m standard pistol team
bgcolor=silver 2nd50 m pistol team1,665
2014ISSF World ChampionshipsGranada, Spainbgcolor=gold 1st25 m center-fire pistol588
bgcolor=gold 1st25 m standard pistol581
bgcolor=silver 2nd10 m air pistol582
bgcolor=#c96 3rd25 m standard pistol team
2016European ChampionshipsGyőr, Hungarybgcolor=gold 1st10 m pistol
2018European ChampionshipsGyőr, Hungarybgcolor=gold 1st10 m pistol241.6
2021European ChampionshipsOsijek, Croatiabgcolor=#c96 3rd10 m pistol team
2022ISSF World CupCairo, Egyptbgcolor=silver 2nd10 m air pistol team869
Baku, Azerbaijanbgcolor=#c96 3rd10 m air pistol Mixed team578
2023ISSF World CupJakarta, Indonesiabgcolor=gold 1st10 m air pistol team867
European GamesKraków-Małopolska, Polandbgcolor=silver 2nd10 m air pistol team
ISSF World ChampionshipsBaku, Azerbaijanbgcolor=silver 2nd10 m air pistol Mixed team581
2024ISSF World CupMunich, Germanybgcolor=gold 1st10 m air pistol Mixed team580
Summer Olympic GamesParis, Francebgcolor=silver 2nd10 m air pistol Mixed team

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Türk Sporcular 2012 Londra Olimpiyatlarında-Atıcılık-Yusuf Dikeç . GSB . tr . 8 July 2012 .
  2. Web site: Yusuf Dikeç . Emekli Assubaylar . tr . 9 July 2012 . 11 May 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120511151451/http://emekliassubaylar.org/gurur-duyduklarimiz/bizde-variz/item/70-yusuf-dikec . dead .
  3. Web site: Yusuf Dikeç – Olympic page .
  4. Web site: Yusuf Dikeç . Göksun Şehir Portalı . 26 February 2012 . tr . 9 July 2012.
  5. Web site: CISM World Records Men . CISM . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305152312/http://www.cism-milsport.org/eng/003_SPORTS/018_shooting/records.asp . 5 March 2016. 5 March 2016 .
  6. Web site: 2012 ISSF World Cup Final closed in Bangkok: China tops the medal count . ISSF . 30 August 2013 . 12 November 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121112213541/http://www.issf-sports.org/news.ashx?newsid=1765 . live .
  7. Schwager-Patel, Nischel, "Meet Yusef Dikec ", Olympics.com, 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  8. Web site: Shooting,50m pistol (60 shots) men – Qualifying Round . London 2012 . 30 August 2013 . 11 April 2013 . https://archive.today/20130411065330/http://www.london2012.com/shooting/event/men-50m-pistol/phase=shm201100/doc=summary.html . dead.
  9. Web site: Schwager-Patel . Nischal . 2024-08-03 . Meet Yusuf Dikec: The Turkish shooter who has gone viral at the Paris 2024 Olympics . Olympics . 4 August 2024 . 5 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240805161047/https://olympics.com/en/news/yusuf-dikec-turkish-shooting-viral-paris-2024-olympics . live .
  10. Web site: 1 August 2024 . Rachel Treisman . . A conspicuously dressed-down shooter won Olympic silver. Then he went viral . 4 Aug 2024 . 1 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240801143752/https://www.npr.org/2024/08/01/nx-s1-5060078/turkey-shooter-olympics-glasses-gear-silver . live .
  11. Web site: Morik . Ryan . 2024-07-31 . Turkish Olympic pistol shooter goes viral after nonchalant composure leads to silver medal: 'Insane aura' . 2024-08-01 . Fox News . en-US . 1 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240801112444/https://www.foxnews.com/sports/turkish-olympic-pistol-shooter-goes-viral-after-nonchalant-composure-leads-silver-medal-insane-aura . live .
  12. Web site: Tuysuz . Amy Woodyatt, Patrick Sung, Gul . 2024-08-01 . Turkey's understated Olympic shooter Yusuf Dikeç bags silver medal and goes viral for 'insane aura' . 2024-08-04 . CNN . en . 4 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240804092136/https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/01/sport/yusuf-dikec-turkey-olympics-shooter-viral-spt/index.html . live .
  13. News: 2024-08-04 . Is Olympic fame Yusuf Dikec really that cool in real life? His colleague shares the truth . 2024-08-04 . The Economic Times . 0013-0389 . 4 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240804092136/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/is-olympic-fame-yusuf-dikec-really-that-cool-in-real-life-his-colleague-shares-the-truth/articleshow/112260559.cms?from=mdr . live .
  14. Web site: 'A bit famous now': Cool, casual Olympic shooters unfazed by internet storm . 2024-08-04 . Al Jazeera . en . 4 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240804092137/https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2024/8/1/viral-olympic-shooters-yusuf-dikec-and-kim-ye-ji-unfazed-by-internet-storm . live .
  15. Web site: 2024-08-04 . Viral Turkish shooter reacts to his 'hitman' memes at Paris Olympics: 'Looked calm, but…' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240804032030/https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/viral-turkish-olympics-shooter-yusuf-dikec-reacts-to-his-hitman-memes-looked-calm-but-101722737041609.html . 4 August 2024 . 9 August 2024 . www.hindustantimes.com.
  16. Web site: Ritman . Alex . Paris Olympics' Most Viral Stars: The Bulge, Turkey's John Wick and Pommel Horse Pro . Variety . 5 August 2024.
  17. News: 2024-08-09 . CNN . Turkey's viral Olympian Yusuf Dikeç inspires new celebration with nonchalant stance . Ben Church . 2024-08-11.
  18. Web site: 2024-08-02 . Who is Yusuf Dikec, the Turkish shooter who has gone viral at the Paris Olympics? . 2024-08-04 . South China Morning Post . en.