Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikeç captured global attention at the Paris Olympics with his memorable pose – shooting with his hand in his pocket.
Winning a silver medal in shooting, Dikeç shared the story behind his success and the famed pose.
Shooting is not widely recognized in Türkiye, despite the fact that the Turkish Shooting Federation dates back to the republic's founding.
Dikeç has achieved numerous international accolades in shooting, with only an Olympic medal missing from his collection – a gap now filled.
His competitors anticipated his success, and upon securing the medal, they congratulated him with: "The medal suits you well. You earned it."
"We went to the Olympics with the prayers of 85 million people. I am thrilled to bring this medal to our country. I hope my success inspires young people and boosts interest in shooting," Dikeç said.
Dikeç explained his unique approach: "I didn’t use any equipment during the competition, as I prefer. The state, the ministry, and the federation always provide the necessary gear on time. I compete this way for my own comfort. I don’t need glasses or earplugs, which help me stay focused by blocking out external noise. This method has worked for me in all my competitions."
Reflecting on his journey, Dikeç's long-time coach said: "We've known each other since 2002 and competed together for 15 years before I became a national team coach. We've worked with Yusuf for the past four or five years. The pressure of preparing for our fifth Olympics was significant. With five world titles and four European championships, Yusuf set a world record in Norway in 2006, making headlines there. We earned this success through hard work and sacrifices from our families. We aim to win gold at the 2028 Olympics. We even joked with the Serbian team, saying, 'We’re leaving the gold medal with you, but we’ll take it back in 2028.'"
