‘Can robots win Olympic medals with hands in pocket’: Turkish shooter Dikec to Elon Musk in first viral post with 8.5 million views in 10 hrs

Chandigarh, August 5

Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec---who become a global online sensation---for his causal approach and winning a Silver at the Paris Olympics has recently joined the Elon Musk-owned social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.

In his first post, he dared to ask Musk if in future robots could win medals at the Olympics with their hands in their pockets?

Sharing a photo from the Olympic event, Dikec, 51, wrote, "Hi Elon, do you think future robots can win medals at the Olympics with their hands in their pockets? How about discussing this in Istanbul, the cultural capital that unites continents? @elonmusk." Musk responded, "Robots will hit the center of the bullseye every time."

Hi Elon, do you think future robots can win medals at the Olympics with their hands in their pockets?😎🇹🇷 How about discussing this in Istanbul, the cultural capital that unites continents? @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/BR5iJmNOHD

— Yusuf Dikec (@yusufdikec) August 4, 2024

This exchange has gone insanely viral on social media and has over 8.5 million views in less than 12 hours.

It was the 51-year-old's casual attire as he fired with his other hand in pocket at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre that made him a global sensation.

While most pistol shooters wear visors, chunky ear-defenders and shooting lenses with a blinder to shut out distractions and enhance focus, Dikec had only an yellow ear plug in as he hit the range.

His silver hair, intense gaze, normal glasses and a jersey that looked like a regular t-shirt intrigued netizens.

Even the common practice among pistol shooters of firing with their non-shooting hand tucked in a pocket was seen as part of Dikec's nonchalant charm.

Dikec secured second place in the mixed team 10-metre air pistol event, along with Sevval Ilayda Tarhan.