Despite going viral for his calm demeanor, Yusuf Dikec admits there were “storms raging” inside him at Paris Olympics

Yusuf Dikec reveals that he was being plagued by a storm in his gut even though the entire world has been lauding him for his composure.

Despite going viral for his calm demeanor, Yusuf Dikec admits there were “storms raging” inside him at Paris Olympics

Yusuf Dikec, image courtesy: X

Yusuf Dikec set Paris and the world on fire with his signature pose that won him the silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event alongside Sevval Ilayda Tarhan. The Turkish shooter made all the right ripples for his relaxed style of shooting at the grandest stage of all, that landed him the podium finish.

Not only has the pose gone viral on internet, but there were other athletes in Paris who celebrated their medal triumph with Dikec’s signature move. From Sweden’s Armand Duplantis to Australia’s Nina Kennedy everyone replicated Dikec’s nonchalant pose screaming of calm and composure catapulting it to the center of media fanfare. However, Yusuf Dikec had something else to say about his mindset prior to the competition.

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At that moment, everyone says I seemed very calm, but actually storms were raging inside me. I think my shooting pose represented the Olympic spirit very well: the fair play, simplicity, clarity and naturalness. That’s why it got so much attention. I never needed that equipment. I am a natural. A natural shooter. That’s why I don’t use many accessories. My shooting technique is one of the rare shooting techniques in the world. I shoot with both eyes open.
Yusuf Dikec told Haberturk

Dikec made his Olympic debut in Beijing 2008, and since then, has been a regular in the Turkey shooting team. Stade de France was the hottest spot where his celebrations were being echoed predominantly, just showing the growing popularity that he had garnered.

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A glance at how Yusuf Dikec pulled off the silver medal

Yusuf Dikec did blaze an impressive trail, winning the Olympic silver in Paris, as this became Turkey’s first-ever medal in shooting in the Summer games. It was a closely contested event that saw Serbia’s Mikec Damir and Zorana Arunovic clinch gold, while India’s Sarabjot Singh and Manu Bhaker registered bronze.

Yusuf Dikec
Yusuf Dikec in front of the Olympic rings, image courtesy: X

Despite the success in the team event, Dikec finished 13th in his individual event to draw curtains on Paris. However, despite crashing out not exactly on a blaze of glory, Dikec pledged to come back stronger and bag the gold medal with his partner at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

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