The Paris Olympics have been trending on the internet for all the good and bad reasons. Together with the competition the athletes also seem to be loved by the internet.
Recently a Turkish athlete has been trending on social media platforms. The air shooter Yusuf Dikec and his team partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan completed an amazing feat by earning the first medal for their country, Turkiye.
They won a silver medal in the 10-metre air pistol mixed team event. However, this was not the reason why they are a hot topic on social media currently.
Dikec gained notoriety when a photo of him competing in the shooting event with little equipment but a strong “aura” became popular on social media and is now known as the Turkish assassin.
While other athletes were using the advantage of the current gear that is advanced in technology, the 51-year-old athlete went with a hand in his pocket and normal glasses and got his country their first medal in the Paris Olympics.
Many netizens were surprised by the ‘aura’ that Dikec permitted in the competition.
In Olympic shooting, they use equipment like:
> A lens to avoid blur
> A lens for better precision
> ear protectors for noiseThen a Turkish guy (Dikeç) came and won a silver medal with just a pair of GLASSES. pic.twitter.com/tobbeIifiS
— Turkish Archives (@TurkishArc) July 31, 2024
On the left is an Olympic shooter wearing specialized goggles and headgear to create the optimal circumstances for optimal performance on the world’s biggest stage
On the left is a man from Turkey with nothing but his eyeglasses
Take a guess on who won silver 🥈 pic.twitter.com/UiUdp9VfTn
— BarnBurner Sports (@BB__Sports) July 31, 2024
Olympic shooting, they use equipment like:
> A lens to avoid blur
> A lens for better precision
> ear protectors for noiseThen a 51 year old Turkish man (Dikeç) came and won a silver medal with just a pair of GLASSES. pic.twitter.com/prOFe8Zund
— The DNA Guy (@AnwarBlaq) July 31, 2024
Meanwhile, some netizens alleged that he is a retired Turkish soldier and another said that is why he went for the silver medal instead of the gold as that would have blown his cover.
Turkey sent a shooter (A retired turkey soldier) to the Olympics who:
– Had no specialized lenses
– Wore no eye cover
– Used no ear protection
– Casually had his hands in his pocketsAnd he still won the silver medal. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/337E8ABdg4
— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952) July 31, 2024
He purposely got the silver medal. Gotta dial it down a bit. Can’t win gold or his cover will be blown. https://t.co/MZiEffdwWl
— Abah (@chairmanGLC) July 31, 2024
Digging deeper into his biography, he has said that he took up the shooting sport after working as a non-commissioned officer for the Gendarmerie General Command which is an armed general law enforcement agency that upholds safety, security, and public order in addition to carrying out tasks assigned to it by other laws.
The Ministry of Interior is the superior authority over the Gendarmerie General Command.
South Korean Shooter
On the other hand, there was another shooting athlete who also broke the internet. Kim Yeji, 31 has captured the internet’s admiration following her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Although she won silver in the women’s 10-meter air pistol event, it was a viral clip from the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup that made her a sensation.
In the video, Kim nonchalantly shoots with one hand in her pocket and breaks the world record, then checks her score with a flick of her futuristic glasses.
Her cool demeanour and stylish appearance have earned her widespread acclaim and a dedicated online following.
no matter what you do in life, you’ll probably never look this cool doing it pic.twitter.com/ORjRhnI1hO
— Aubrey Strobel (@aubreystrobel) July 30, 2024
South korean shooter Kim Yeji is th3 new James Bond of th3 Olympics, I’m absolutely obsessed with those shooting glasses and badass attitude 😎 #KIMYEJI pic.twitter.com/jR39XmAMFz
— IMSOVOGUE (@imso_vogue) July 30, 2024
She even had a cute elephant doll in her pocket and yet gave a stance that one might have only seen in the Anime.
Omg her daughter’s elephant doll was with her during the olympics🥹 Kim Yeji is MOTHERING. pic.twitter.com/kiZlb7Beia
— Lit 🍉 (@hahyunsing) July 30, 2024
same pose. same aura. insane pic.twitter.com/2zX3iiorxT
— Michaela 🍓 (@Michisugussy95) July 30, 2024
In the meantime, our Malaysian 10m air shooter, Johnathan Wong Guanjie shared a post on his Facebook page thanking his coaches, sports time team and sports management team for his journey in the Paris Olympic 2024.
Despite losing out in the first qualification round after ranking 26, he expressed his gratitude to his family, friends and supporters.
“The game is over. Despite not being able to achieve a personal goal, this journey is still meaningful to me,” he said in the post.
Malaysians in the comment section encouraged him and expressed their pride in the Malaysian athlete.
