Who Is Yusuf Dikec? The Turkish Marksman Who Snagged Silver With Limited Gear, a Hand in Pocket

The shooting events have particularly captivated India after Manu Bhaker's historic performance, which allowed her to secure two consecutive medals. But what has been attracting the spotlight is one of the Mixed 10m Air Pistol team's silver medalists. Turkey bagged silver in the particular event this year, but what was interesting is that the male shooter, Yusuf Dikec, stole the show with his performance after he was seen without any specialized equipment and was able to bag the silver medal with his teammate at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Also Read: India’s Day 6 in Paris Olympics: Athletics in Action With Kusale Set to Shine in Shooting Final

Who is Yusuf Dikec? The Turkish Marksman who defined Aura at the 2024 Paris Olympics

In general, the Shooting Events consist of the shooters donning a protective earpiece for the noise, specialized glasses for enhanced precision and an eye cover to avoid any blurriness. But Yusuf Dikec, a 51-year-old marksman from Turkey, defined the word 'Aura' when he took part in the Mixed 10m Air Pistol event. Dikec and Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, his doubles partner, placed second in the mixed 10-meter air pistol event.

Yusuf Dikec simply wore regular prescribed glasses and had earplugs, but he was able to give the Serbian shooters tough competition. With one hand in his pocket, he rolled up the line, aimed his pistol down sight, and hit all his bullets as he and Sevval Ilayda Tarhan won the silver medals, while Serbia delivered a comeback to clinch the gold.

Dikec, the 51-year-old shooter from Turkey, made his debut appearance in the Beijing Games in 2008. It was his fifth participation in Paris, and he won his first Olympic medal in the most comfortable way possible following an exceptional career with the pistol.

Also Read: ‘When I Have Doubts, He Replies’: India Long Jumper Praveen Chithravel Raves About Neeraj Chopra

Speaking of the Medal event, while Serbia clinched the gold medal, Turkey's Yusuf Dikec and Sevval Ilayda Tarhan were crowned with the silver medal. The Bronze was captured by India's own, Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh. Manu became the first-ever Olympian in the post-independence era to clinch two consecutive medals in the game as she and Sarabjot enhanced the country's medal tally to two.