Yusuf Dikeç (born 1 January 1973) is a Turkish sport shooter who competes in the pistol events and is a multi-time world and European champion. He is a retired non-commissioned officer of the Turkish Gendarmerie and a member of Jandarma Gücü Sports Club. He has been subject to overnight fame and various Internet memes due to his casual attire combined with minimal equipment during the 2024 Summer Olympics in which he won a silver medal in the 10 meter air pistol mixed team event alongside his teammate Şevval İlayda Tarhan. Dikeç used the following expression in his life philosophy on the official Olympic page: "Success doesn't come with your hands in your pockets."
Early life Dikeç was born in 1973 in Taşoluk village of Göksun district in Kahramanmaraş Province. After his primary schooling in his village, he completed his secondary education in Göksun. In 1994, he enrolled at the Military School of Gendarmerie in Ankara. After graduation, he became a corporal and entered duty in Mardin. In 1999, Dikeç re-entered the Military School of Gendarmerie. After one year, he graduated with the rank of sergeant serving in the Gendarmerie Special Public Security Command. He served one year in Istanbul, and then was appointed to Jandarma Gücü in Ankara, the sports club of the Turkish Gendarmerie.
In 2001, he began sport shooting. Since then, Dikeç competes on the military national team as well as the national team. He was educated in physical education and sports at Gazi University in Ankara.
Sports career Dikeç became the Turkish champion several times and is the national record holder in different categories of pistol events.
In 2006, he set a new world record in 25 m center-fire pistol event at the CISM Military World Championships held in Rena, Norway, scoring 597 points.
Dikeç won the bronze medal in the 10 metre air pistol event at the 2012 ISSF World Cup Final held in Bangkok, Thailand.
He first participated in the Olympics in Beijing representing Turkey in 2008, at age 35, and competed again in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024.Schwager-Patel, Nischel, "Meet Yusef Dikec ", Olympics.com, 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024. He qualified for participation in the 10 m air pistol men's event at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He also took part in the 50 m pistol event without advancing to the final round.
At the 2013 European Shooting Championships held in Osijek, Croatia, from 21 July to 4 August, he became double gold medalist in 25 m standard pistol and 25 m center-fire pistol. He took also a silver medal in the 25 m standard team event with his teammates Fatih Kavruk and Murat Kılınç and another gold medal in the 25 m center-fire pistol team competition. In the 50 m pistol event, he won another silver medal with his teammates Ömer Alimoğlu and İsmail Keleş.
At the 2021 European Shooting Championships in Osijek, Croatia, he won the bronze medal with his teammates Serdar Demirel and İsmail Keleş in the 10 m Air Pistol Team event.
2024 Summer Olympics and going viral Dikeç and his teammate Şevval İlayda Tarhan won the silver medal in the 10 m air pistol Mixed team event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, losing to the Serbian team of Zorana Arunović and Damir Mikec in the final. He thus became Turkey's oldest ever Olympic medallist, at the age of 51 years and 212 days.
In this event, Dikeç went viral for his "seeming nonchalance" and "noticeably casual vibe". While many of his competitors wore large, bulky ear protectors, visors, and high-tech shooting glasses, Dikeç, at age 51, wore a jersey that resembled an ordinary T-shirt and regular eyeglasses, with barely noticeable earplugs, and shot with one hand casually tucked in his trouser pocket. He was praised on social media for this unusual attitude towards a global sporting event. Dikeç was compared to James Bond or a hitman on social media posts; Variety dubbed him the "Turkish John Wick." Dikeç's casual appearance and his nonchalant pose became the subject of a number of Internet memes and were mimicked by other athletes at the Paris Olympics including Armand Duplantis, Nina Kennedy and Rojé Stona. Dikeç embraced the memes, posting a compilation of them on his Instagram page.
Following the 2024 Summer Olympics, Dikeç sought to register his shooting pose as a trademark in Turkey.
2025 At the 2025 ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany, he took the silver medal in the 10m air pistol event.
He won the silver medal in the 10m air pistol solo event, and the gold medal with his teammate Şevval İlayda Tarhan in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, and the gold medal with his teammates İsmail Keleş and Buğra Selimzade in the 10m air pistol trio event at the 2025 European 10 m Events Championships in Osijek, Croatia.
Achievements + Representing Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes 2003 European Military Championships Plzeň, Czech Republic2nd 2004 European Military Championships Ankara, Turkey2nd 2005 XV Mediterranean Games Almeria, Spain2nd 10 m air pistol 585 Balkan Championships Romania2nd 2006 CISM World Championships Rena, Norway1st 25 m center-fire pistol 597 WR2007 Military World Games Hyderabad, India2nd 25 m rapid-fire pistol Military Olympics Brazil2nd2010 CISM World Championships Zagreb, Croatia3rd 25 m center-fire pistol2011 ISSF World Cup Munich, Germany1st 10 m air pistol 687.3 ISSF World Cup Final Wrocław, Poland3rd 10 m air pistol 682.92012 ISSF World Cup Munich, Germany3rd 10 m air pistol 686.5 ISSF World Cup Final Bangkok, Thailand3rd 10 m air pistol 684.5 European Championships Vierumäki, Finland2nd 10 m pistol European Championships Vierumäki, Finland2nd 10 m pistol team 2013XVII Mediterranean GamesMersin, Turkey2nd 10 m air pistol 5771st 50 m pistol 555European ChampionshipsOsijek, Croatia1st 25 m center-fire pistol 5901st 25 m center-fire pistol team 1,7411st 25 m standard pistol2nd 25 m standard pistol team2nd 50 m pistol team 1,665 2014 ISSF World Championships Granada, Spain1st 25 m center-fire pistol 5881st 25 m standard pistol 5812nd 10 m air pistol 5823rd 25 m standard pistol team 2016 European Championships Győr, Hungary1st 10 m pistol 2018 European Championships Győr, Hungary1st 10 m pistol 241.6 2021 European Championships Osijek, Croatia3rd 10 m pistol team 2022 ISSF World Cup Cairo, Egypt 2nd 10 m air pistol team 869 Baku, Azerbaijan 3rd 10 m air pistol Mixed team 578 2023 ISSF World Cup Jakarta, Indonesia 1st 10 m air pistol team 867 European Games Kraków-Małopolska, Poland 2nd 10 m air pistol team ISSF World Championships Baku, Azerbaijan 2nd 10 m air pistol Mixed team 581 2024 European Championships Győr, Hungary 1st 10 m pistol trio 2nd 10 m pistol team ISSF World Cup Munich, Germany 1st 10 m air pistol Mixed team 580 Summer Olympic Games Paris, France 2nd 10 m air pistol Mixed team 2025 ISSF World Cup Munich, Germany 2nd 10 m air pistol European Championships Osijek, Croatia 1st 10 m pistol trio 1st 10 m pistol Mixed team 2nd 10 m pistol solo
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