Is Yusuf Dikec a ‘psychopath’? Social media post about Turkish shooter’s past goes viral after silver at Paris Olympics

Paris Olympics 2024: At 51, Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec won a silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. He went viral on social media as netizens started appreciating his relaxed style. Unlike most other shooters, he competed without protective earwear or special lenses.

Yusuf stood on the Olympic podium after winning a silver medal and sent a message to his ex-wife, Sharon, asking for his dog back, claims a social media post. Did he actually say that? Let’s find out.

What does the social media post claim?

The social media post calls Dikec a “52-year-old mechanic from Istanbul”. It claims that Dikec unexpectedly found success in shooting after a heated argument with his ex-wife led him to take up the sport.

His motivation came from wanting to see his children and prove his ex-wife wrong. Yusuf mentioned that he had never imagined reaching this point as his initial goal was just to spend weekends with his kids, the post claims.

“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,” says the post.

The post also claims, “After winning silver, Yusuf stood emotionless on the Olympic podium and declared, "Sharon, if you're watching this, I want my dog back."”

The social media post has received more than 8.15 lakh “Likes”, over 53,000 comments and 1.8 lakh shares.

Did Yusuf Dikec actually say that?

Before jumping to conclusions, one must know the name of the Facebook Page that shared the post. It’s The Sports Memery. And, its tagline says: The fakest fake news on the internets. The page is known for its over-the-top sports satire. It has now posted a statement, clarifying the misunderstanding around their post.

The page says its post about Yusuf Dikec “got out of hand”. The post was meant as a humorous take on the idea of an unstable, recently-divorced dad winning an Olympic medal in shooting, inspired by a character like Michael Douglas in "Falling Down", it added.

“So no, if you needed to hear it, this isn't a true story. It's satire from a page that goes to great lengths to label itself as such. Please stop idolizing a fictional psychopath I created while taking a morning dump yesterday,” the author of the page added.