In these Paris 2024 Olympic Games, one name has resonated strongly in recent days, arousing the admiration of the public in all countries to the point of becoming a viral phenomenon on social networks. We are talking about Yusuf Dikeç, a Turkish shooter who has captured the world’s attention not only for his outstanding accuracy – which has won him a silver medal for Turkey – but above all for his remarkable calmness and unique style, competing without any special equipment. Many have already dubbed him the “John Wick” or the “Hitman” of these Olympics, but who is Yusuf Dikeç?
Once upon a time there was a village in Turkey…
Yusuf Dikeç‘s story begins with humble beginnings. Born on 1 January 1973 in Taşoluk, a small village in the Göksun district of Kahramanmaraş province (south-eastern Turkey), Dikeç completed his primary education in his village and finished his secondary education in Göksun.
In 1994, at the age of 19, he enrolled in the Gendarmerie Military School in Ankara, and after graduating he became a corporal serving in Mardin. In 1999, he re-entered the Gendarmerie Military School and a year later graduated as a sergeant, serving a year in Istanbul before being assigned to Jandarma Gücü, the Turkish Gendarmerie’s sports club in Ankara.
A successful (and medal-winning) career
In 2001, Dikeç took up shooting sports, competing since then in both the army national team and the Turkish national team. During this time he also graduated in physical education and sports at the Gazi University of Ankara. Dikeç has been Turkish champion several times and holds the national record in different categories of pistol competitions. In 2006, he set a new world record in 25m centre fire pistol at the CISM Military World Championships in Rena, Norway, scoring 597 points.
In 2012, he won the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol at the ISSF World Cup Final in Bangkok, Thailand. He qualified for the 10m air pistol and 50m air pistol competitions at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, although he failed to reach the final in the latter.
At the 2013 European Shooting Championships in Osijek, Croatia, Dikeç won a double gold medal in the 25m standard pistol and 25m centrefire pistol events. He also won a silver medal in the 25m standard pistol team event alongside teammates Fatih Kavruk and Murat Kılınç, and a gold medal in the 25m centrefire pistol team competition. In the 50m pistol event, he won another silver medal with teammates Ömer Alimoğlu and İsmail Keleş. Quite impressive.
At the 2021 European Shooting Championships, also in Osijek, Dikeç won the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol team event with Serdar Demirel and İsmail Keleş. Finally, already at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Yusuf Dikeç has had an impressive performance achieving together with his teammate Şevval İlayda Tarhan the silver medal in the 10m air pistol team event, after losing 16-14 in the mixed pistol shooting finals.
The quiet man
Dikeç has been praised at the Paris Olympics for the precision of his shots, reflecting a technical mastery that takes years of practice; but above all for his unwavering calmness on the firing line, with a calm – almost Zen-like – attitude towards his competitors. Rarely in history has a second-place finish had such an impact, to the point of completely eclipsing the gold medal won by the Serbian pair (Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec).
The Turkish athlete’s relaxed pose, wearing a T-shirt, with one hand in his pocket and aiming calmly without even using the special equipment and accessories authorised for this Olympic discipline, has clearly distinguished him from his rivals, making his medal even more meritorious. No headphones for outside noise, no focus lenses, no special goggles… Dikeç showed up wearing just simple yellow earplugs and his own glasses (the ones he always wears). So that’s it… Unbeliavable. The Turkish shooter is fully confident in his concentration and shooting skills – “For me it’s something natural,” he has said – and all the rest are mere distractions.
Global viral phenomenon
Yusuf Dikeç’s peculiar combination of calmness and technical skill has quickly turned him into a worldwide viral phenomenon. Social media has been crazy and has been filled in the last few days with comments, videos and all kinds of memes highlighting his laid-back attitude, but also his skills.
Yusuf Dikeç, who many are already dubbing the “John Wick” of the Paris Olympics, has shown everyone that personal skills and mentality are still above gadgets and technology in a world where the latter seems to have invaded all areas of human life, including sports. This “quiet Turk” reminds us that above all barriers, focus, dedication and self-confidence are still the key to achieving whatever we set out to do.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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