Turkish shooter Dikec eyes gold at 2028 Olympics after bagging silver with iconic style

Turkish air pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec, who won a silver medal for Türkiye at the Paris 2024 Olympics, aims to achieve a gold medal at the 2028 Olympics.

Dikce became an internet sensation shortly after grabbing his silver medal – that too with minimal gear.

“It looks easy from the outside, but storms are raging inside us,” Dikec said during his interview with Turkish broadcaster TGRT.

“We came with the prayers of 85 million. Our goal was a gold medal; we will win it in 2028,” he added, mentioning that he did not expect to garner that much attention.

Dikec, who secured a silver medal with Sevval Ilayda Tarhan in the mixed team event of the 10-meter air pistol competition at Paris 2024, caught significant attention with his distinctive style.

Unlike most shooters who use equipment such as lenses, eyelid protectors, or ear protectors, Dikec competed without such gear.

His unique shooting stance made him one of the most talked-about figures on social media at Paris 2024.

Photos and videos of Dikec shooting without equipment and winning the silver medal with his teammate received millions of praises online.

Commenting on his competition success, Dikec said: “First of all, I am very happy to achieve such success. We came with the prayers of 85 million. Our goal was a gold medal, but we narrowly missed it. When a competitor goes to a competition, they should bring their fate, sustenance, and luck.”

“Our luck wasn’t with us today. I missed by one point, and two of our teammates also missed in the same way. I wished it could have been gold, but it wasn’t,” he added.

“While shooting, you have the weight of 85 million people on your mind. This is my fifth Olympics. We did not return empty-handed; we were well-prepared. In the last press release, they asked about it. We have entrusted this gold medal to Los Angeles 2028. We will win the gold medal in 2028,” Dikec continued.

“This is the result of 24 years of effort. Even though we are older, young people can continue this sport into their later years. They have seen that relentless, tireless work can yield results. In my early years, reaching the finals in Europe or the world was considered a success. Now, we are disappointed with a silver medal at the Olympics,” Dikec, offering advice to young people, said.

Regarding his widely discussed shooting stance, Dikec explained: “This is actually my normal shooting position. It helps to keep the body more balanced and stable. Even the smallest swing can cause deviations. We lost the competition not by 1 point but by 0.7 points.”