The Yusuf Dikec pose: From Armand Duplantis to Kieron Pollard - athletes who celebrated it!
From Olympic champions to sporting stars, several athletes have mimicked Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec’s iconic hand-in-pocket pose from Paris 2024.
The phrase ‘No one remembers who came second’ has long haunted athletes - until Yusuf Dikec arrived at the Paris 2024 Olympics to change that narrative.
At the age of 51, the Turkish shooter made history by winning silver in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, becoming Turkiye’s first-ever Olympic shooting medallist. Yet it was his laid-back demeanour that turned him into an internet sensation.
Yusuf Dikec’s casual approach, with one hand tucked in his pocket and standard glasses replacing professional shooting eyewear, stood in stark contrast to the high-tech gear used by other competitors.
Interestingly, Dikec, who won silver in his fifth Olympics, embraces the philosophy that ‘success doesn’t come with your hands in your pockets.’
His signature pose became a symbol of confidence and cool-headedness, inspiring many athletes to mimic his style in celebrations across various sports, including track and field, cricket, football, basketball and aquatics.
Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, known for breaking records and winning gold, was among the first athletes to strike Dikec’s pose by adopting the stance during his victory celebration at the Paris Olympics.
Jamaican discus thrower Roje Stona followed suit after clinching gold with a new Olympic record. He mirrored the iconic pose as he approached the large bell at Stade de France, traditionally rung by gold-medal-winning athletes.
Jamaica's Roje Stona celebrates after winning the gold medal with an Olympic record in the men's discus throw final at the Stade de France on August 7, 2024.
Australian pole vaulter Nina Kennedy similarly celebrated her Olympic gold medal, wrapped in the Australian flag, extending her arm and fingers to hit the unmistakable Yusuf Dikec pose.
Hungarian swimmers Kristof Rasovszky and David Betlehem also embraced the Dikec pose, celebrating their gold and bronze medals in the men’s marathon swimming at Paris 2024 with the now-iconic stance.
Gold medallist Kristof Rasovszky (right) of Hungary and his bronze medal-winning compatriot David Betlehem (left) celebrate after the men's 10k marathon swimming event at Pont Alexandre III on August 9, 2024.
Even relay teams joined the trend with South Africa’s men’s 4x100m team striking Dikec’s pose after winning the Olympic silver with an African Record of 37.57 seconds. Bayanda Walaza, Shaun Maswanganyi, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine celebrated their achievement with a shooting stance reminiscent of Yusuf Dikec.
The French basketball players also posed like Yusuf Dikec during the gold medal match against the United States.
West Indian cricketers Kieron Pollard and Akeal Hosein were among the first to bring Dikec’s iconic pose to the cricket field. During the final of The Hundred Men’s Competition 2024 against the Oval Invincibles, the two Southern Brave stars mimicked the Turkish shooter’s viral stance.
Hosein did it after dismissing Sam Curran and Pollard after catching Donovan Ferreira.
Kieron Pollard (R) of Southern Brave poses after Akeal Hosein (L) dismissed Sam Billings during The Hundred Final against Oval Invincibles at Lord's Cricket Ground on August 18, 2024.
Elsewhere, AFC Ajax winger Steven Berghuis posed like Dikec after scoring a goal against Panathinaikos while Turkish midfielder Irfan Can Kahveci celebrated in a similar fashion in the UEFA Champions League.
K-Pop star Park Seonghwa also struck the pose during a recent Ateez concert while Toprak Razgatlıoglu posed after winning the Superpole race at the Superbike World Championship in Portugal.
The viral nature of Dikec’s pose led to the creation of various memorabilia, including t-shirts, mobile covers and mugs, all featuring his image.
In September 2024, Dikec took steps to protect his iconic stance by filing a trademark application with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office. His coach, Erdinc Bilgili, explained that the decision was driven by numerous unauthorised attempts to trademark the pose without Dikec’s consent.