Sharon, you better give him his dog back

Turkish air pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec didn’t need much but his legendary aura to win the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Tuesday. Dikec, alongside his duos partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, took second place in the mixed team 10-meter air pistol event, although Dikec brought limited gear to the competition.

Dikec went viral on Wednesday after a picture was shared to social media of him without specialized goggles or ear protection, a commonality among shooting competitors at the Olympics. Dikec instead wore regular prescription glasses and earplugs and was still able to defeat most of the competition.

The Fiction: Dikec Yusuf, who took up shooting after a particularly heated argument with his ex-wife, credits his success to his found passion for seeing his kids and a relentless drive to prove his ex wrong. “I never thought I’d be here,” Yusuf said, shrugging nonchalantly. “I was just aiming for a weekend with the kids.”

The 52-year-old, who works as a mechanic in a small garage in Istanbul, first picked up a gun during a particularly frustrating divorce mediation.

His unorthodox approach – no specialty gear, no training regimen, and a wardrobe consisting of his everyday jeans and a T-shirt – has baffled professional shooters. “He just shows up, shoots a near perfect round, and then asks if there’s a smoking area nearby.”

After winning silver, Yusuf stood emotionless on the Olympic podium and declared, “Sharon, if you’re watching this, I want my dog back.”

The Facts: Dikeç, 51, won a silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team competition on Tuesday, July 30, delighting fans who were drawn to his casual vibe, which included a lack of protective ear wear and no special lenses like most other shooters choose to wear.

What Dikeç didn’t do was stand “emotionless” on the podium and declare, “Sharon, if you’re watching this, I want my dog back.” The only problem? The story was satire. In actuality, Dikeç began shooting competitively in 2001, after he started working as a non-commissioned officer for the Gendarmerie General Command. He’s a four-time Olympian who previously competed in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 – and his relationship status remains unknown.

Regardless, he celebrated his win – which he achieved alongside teammate Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, on Instagram with a photo taken under the Eiffel Tower. “I am very happy that we have won the first Olympic medal in the history of the republic to my country of 85 million people who sent us off with their prayers. This medal belongs to the REPUBLIC OF TURKEY……,” he captioned the post.