Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec, who wins the 'Internet gold' after an Olympic silver, is no newcomer to Games

In a picture which went viral on social media, Dikec was seen holding the pistol targeting the point wearing a simple t-shirt, keeping one hand in pocket and without much protections which are conventionally chosen by a shooter. A meme fest followed his viral photo at the Games. 

Dikec, 51, is not all new to the mega international sporting event but an experienced one as he participated in all summer Olympics since 2008.

This time in Paris, the shooter has created history by winning the first-ever Olympics medal for his country in shooting.

Dikec won a silver medal with his teammate Sevval Ilayda Tarhan in the 10-meter air pistol event on Tuesday. However, owing to his cool posture, the spotlight shifted to him and not to his female mate.

Serbia's Damir Mikec and Zorana Arunovic won the gold medal while India's Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh clinched the bronze.

Why didn’t Dikec wear gears like other participants?

Shooters in the Olympics have certain freedom about their outfits in the competition.

Speaking to Turkish channel TGRT Haber, Dikec said, as quoted by Al Jazeera, he had adopted the rare technique of shooting with both eyes open whereas most athletes keep one closed or obscured.

“My shooting technique is one of the rare shooting techniques in the world. I shoot with both eyes open. Even the referees are surprised by this,” he said.

"This year we prepared a lot and worked a lot. … This success belongs to all of Turkey. Success doesn’t come with your hands in your pockets,” he said.

Dikec was wearing yellow earplugs to block out distractions while he shot in the final. "They just weren't visible from the angle of the image which went viral," said TRT World.

Personal life story unverified yet

There are stories circulating about his personal life with a Facebook post claiming that he "works as a mechanic in a small garage in Istanbul, and first picked up a gun during a particularly frustrating divorce mediation." But his personal life, especially about his wife and divorce, are not verified by mainstream media yet.

Internet loves Yusuf Dikec