Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec and South Korean marksman Kim Ye-ji have remained unfazed by their viral fame.
Dikec, who gained attention for his relaxed style with his hand in his pocket and no headwear, won silver in the mixed team 10-meter air pistol event with Sevval Ilayda Tarhan. Despite his unorthodox approach, including shooting with both eyes open, he and Tarhan lost to Serbia in the final. Dikec’s laid-back demeanor, including wearing standard glasses and a team T-shirt, sparked a flurry of social media posts and memes, likening his coolness to James Bond. Turkish Sports Minister Osman Askin Bak even celebrated him by recreating his iconic pose with a Turkish flag.
On the other hand, Kim Ye-ji, who took silver in the women’s 10-meter air pistol, captured the internet's imagination with her poised and stylish appearance. Dressed in a zipped-up South Korean uniform and baseball hat, Kim's calm and focused demeanor in videos earned her the title of "the coldest style star of this year’s Games" from GQ. Although some footage mistakenly showed her at the Baku World Cup rather than Paris, Kim’s presence was widely admired. Her “sci-fi assassin” look and confident attitude led to viral fan art, memes, and over 28 million views of one video post. Kim, who excels in the 25-meter pistol event, remains focused on achieving gold and looks forward to celebrating with her daughter after the Games.