<\/p>\n
\u201cAt that moment, everyone says I seemed very calm, but actually, storms were raging inside me,\u201d says Dikec.<\/p>\n
Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec went viral for his cool, calm demeanour at the Paris Olympics, but said there were \u201cstorms\u201d within him as he won silver in the mixed team 10-meter air pistol event.<\/p>\n
His nonchalant pose, with his non-shooting hand casually tucked into his pocket, sparked a flurry of memes and won a legion of fans online \u2014 as well as eliciting a tribute from pole vault great Mondo Duplantis and banter with Elon Musk.<\/p>\n
He eschewed the high-tech gear of his competitors, opting for a simple yellow ear plug and regular glasses as he and Sevval Ilayda Tarhan secured their podium finish.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt that moment, everyone says I seemed very calm, but actually, storms were raging inside me,\u201d said Dikec, a former Turkish Gendarmerie officer.<\/p>\n \u201cI think my shooting pose represented the Olympic spirit very well: the fair play, simplicity, clarity, and naturalness. That\u2019s why it got so much attention.\u201d<\/p>\n Dikec\u2019s fame was further amplified by his interactions with Elon Musk on the social media platform X.<\/p>\n Sharing a photo from the Olympics, Dikec said: \u201cHi Elon, do you think future robots can win medals at the Olympics with their hands in their pockets? How about discussing this in Istanbul, the cultural capital that unites continents? @elonmusk<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Musk responded: \u201cRobots will hit the centre of the bullseye every time.\u201d Swedish pole vaulter Duplantis emulated Dikec\u2019s distinctive shooting pose following his own victory when he broke the world record.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nice to see that kind-hearted people feel close to each other,\u201d Dikec said.<\/p>\n Regarding his career goals, Dikec confidently stated: \u201cMy partner and I will get the gold at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.\u201d<\/p>\n He said he told the gold medallist, Serbia\u2019s Damir Mikec, \u201cI\u2019ve only lent you the gold medal until 2028\u201d.<\/p>\n Header image: Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec, who won the silver in the mixed team 10-meter air\u00a0pistol\u00a0event in Paris 2024 Olympics combined with Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, is pictured during a training in Ankara, Turkiye on Aug 8, 2024 \u2014 Reuters<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n