With a single hand in his pocket of his pants the 51-year-old shot way to the second spot making it a landmark moment for his home country, and making him a star on the internet.

Turkish sharpshooter Yusuf Dikeç didn’t need special lenses or big ear protectors to win the silver medal in the air pistol team event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

By Minyvonne Burke

01/08/2024

With just one hand inside his pants pocket Dikec 51 took off to take second place, marking an significant moment for his country, and propelling himself into the world of internet-based fandom.

Serbia’s Damir Mikec and Zorana Arunovic were the winners. the Indian duo of Manu Bhaker, and Sarabjot Singh claimed bronze.

Shooters are given some discretion in their attire, The Associated Press stated. The majority of shooters wear ear protections and visors, or blinders, over one eye for focus and reduce the light glare.

However, Dikec did not wear the extravagant, high-tech equipment and wore only small yellow earplugs as well as a normal pair of glasses. His teammate, Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, also didn’t have blinders, and had one hand inside her pocket. The victory was Turkey’s first medal at the Olympic shooting competition.

“I did not need special equipment. I’m a natural, a natural shooter,” Dikec was quoted as saying to Turkish press, in accordance with EuroNews.

People were quick to notice and were awed by his relaxed, casual manner of speaking.

“No lens, no headphones, just vibes,” Eurosport posted on the X. “Turkey’s Yusuf Dikec wins silver and fan’s hearts.”

“Turkey sent a 51 yr old guy with no specialized lenses, eye cover or ear protection and got the silver medal,” one user wrote.

In contrast, South Korean’s Kim Ye-ji was also a viral sensation this week, after she was spotted at the air pistol with a 10-meter range women’s event on Saturday that featured futuristic lenses that had the “Paris 2024” blinder and an easy, elegant manner of speaking.

A fan quickly called her”the “James Bond of [the] Olympics.”