Viral Turkish Shooter Had Thought Of Quitting Sport If He Won Olympic Gold

Yusuf Dikec’s team won the silver in 10-metre air pistol mixed team event at Paris Olympics

New Delhi:

If coolness had a face, it would be Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec’s. The 51-year-old, who won the silver in 10-metre air pistol mixed team event at Paris Olympics without any special gear and a hand in pocket, is now the among the most searched persons on Internet and the inspiration behind numerous memes.

Back home after his Olympic win along with teammate Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, Dikec spoke to Turkey’s Anadolu news agency about his relaxed posture that made headlines. “It was the position where I felt the most comfortable and could keep my body the most stable. Although I looked calm on the outside, there was a storm inside,” he said, adding that he had no inkling that his posture would start a buzz. “I never expected it to create such a stir,” he said, adding that he just got into position and took the shot.

A 23-Year Journey

The interest surrounding Yusuf Dikec generated a wave of misinformation, with claims that he was a mechanic and his journey as a shooter began after a nasty divorce. While his relationship status is not known, it is clear that his calm shot is the result of two decades of hard work. A former sergeant in Turkish Army, Dikec started sport shooting in 2001. He is a five-time Olympian who also competed in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 Games.

In his interview to Anadolu, he said, “People sometimes say, ‘it’s so easy, you won a medal with your hand in your pocket’. That’s what shows on the outside, but behind this medal is 24 years of hard work. I train for 4-5 hours six days a week.”

Dikec has earlier won medals in European and world championships, Mediterranean Games and Islamic Solidarity Games. “What was missing in that collection was an Olympic medal. The collection would have been complete if it was gold. If I won a gold in this Olympics, I was thinking of quitting,” he said, adding, “I am very good, and Ilayda is very good too. If God allows, we will win the gold medal in 2028.”

Daughter’s Pep Talk

Dikec has told Anadolu about his conversation with his nine-year-old daughter Basak before he left for Paris. “My only asset in the world, my source of life, is Basak. She gave me tips before she left. When I asked her, ‘How are you doing in gymnastics, she replied, ‘I tell myself ‘you can do it Basak, you can win’. You do the same.’ The shooter said he spoke to his daughter the day before the Olympics shooting event. “Normally, I don’t answer my phone so as not to distract my attention, but talking to my daughter, motivated me.”

Basak said she was very excited to see her father perform. “I wished him success. I motivated him so that he does not get upset for not finishing first.”

“Yusuf Dikec just a name”

The star shooter said an athlete needs to pay attention to his attitude, behaviour and lifestyle when he is wearing the national team’s jersey. “Yusuf Dikec is just a name and a symbol. I am very happy to be spoken about as a Turkish athlete, not as Yusuf Dikec.”

He said this victory must inspire young Turkish shooters. “I started the sport very late, I started when I was 28. At first, when we went to competitions in Europe and the world, we considered making it to the finals as a success. Today, after 24 years, we have started to feel sad about finishing second in the Olympics. We have many young friends, they will surpass us. I am old, but we have shown that success can be achieved by hard work. What is important is not wanting something very much, but the effort you put in to achieve what you want,” he said.