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Olympic Shooter Speaks Out After Becoming An Online Sensation For Competing Without Specialized Gear And Taking The Silver Home

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Olympic Shooter Speaks Out After Becoming An Online Sensation For Competing Without Specialized Gear And Taking The Silver Home

Yusuf Dikec, a Turkish marksman who won the gold medal in Paris in 2024, has spoken out after becoming well-known online.

At the 10-meter air pistol competition, where Yusuf was competing for Turkey, many spectators made remarks about the specialized eyeglasses that certain competitors were wearing.

One such athlete was Kim Yeji of South Korea, who had a specific lens for assistance in her right eye and was covered in glasses for her left eye.

Numerous others remarked on how amazing the spectacles seemed, resembling something from a cyberpunk novel.

People were impressed with Yusuf for a completely different reason since, aside from his usual glasses, he showed up for the shoot without any eyewear at all.

Source: BBC

Additionally, it appears that Yusuf didn’t use the specialty glasses because he was such a deadeOlympic shooter speaks out after becoming online sensation for turning up with no specialist equipment and winning silverye shooter.

In the 10-meter air pistol competition, Yusuf and his teammate Sevval Ilayda Tarhan won the silver medal.

For the first time since he went viral online, the marksman has now expressed his opinions.

After winning a medal for himself and his team, Yusuf was naturally overjoyed and vowed to return to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic Games.

He said: “I am just very happy about five Olympic Games. We were very strong today in our competition.”

And a gold medal in 2028 is what he and his teammate are aiming for (see what I did there).

He said: “We next [come] to Los Angeles and win a gold medal.”

He told local Turkish media, as reported by EuroNews, “I did not need special equipment, I’m a natural, a natural shooter,” in reference to his lack of protection during the incident.

Source: Instagram

He also stated in a different comment that “success doesn’t come with your hands in your pockets.”

Yusuf is participating in his sixth Olympics in Paris 2024. Although he was not carrying any obvious equipment, he was donning yellow earplugs to help block out distracting noises.

He has experience as an athlete, having won both European and World titles.

Some sportsmen choose to wear additional headgear, such as visors to help cut down on glare or blinders, like Kim’s, to help focus the eye better when gazing down at the sights.

People discussed him on social media, with one comment reading, “I appreciate how everyone utilizes specialist lenses for shooting to maximize precision and reduce blur.”

“But then Turkey sends out a guy who looks like he just picked up the gun for fun and wins silver.”

“Did Turkey send a hitman to the Olympics?” someone else joked.

Source: Freepik

Despite his seemingly composed demeanor, colleague Sevval disclosed that he was anything but, adding, “He had so much anxiety, so much pressure on his heart.”

“Our heartbeat is really beating. Is there really so much beating. It is really hard to shoot in the final of the Olympic games.”

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