Turkey’s Cool Olympian ‘Hitman’ Stuns Internet, Inspires Memes

New Delhi: Social media has gone crazy over Turkish air pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec after he won the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. A photograph of the 51-year-old athlete taking aim with one hand in his pocket and wearing minimum gear has gone viral and given way to a host of memes.

One post featuring the photograph has received a staggering 62 million views on X. “Turkey sent a 51 yr old guy with no specialized lenses, eye cover or ear protection and got the silver medal,” the caption read.

Yusuf Dikec was compared to other athletes who participated in the air pistol mixed team competition decked out in specialised gear, including special goggles, lenses to avoid blur, and ear protectors for noise. By contrast, the Turkish shooter redefined casual confidence when he appeared at the Paris Olympics 2024 stage in prescription glasses and normal earplugs, and went on to win the silver with one hand in his pocket.

Memes on Yusuf Dikec have flooded X and other social media platforms since his picture went viral on Wednesday.