Rohan Chowdhury in Paris
The saying “A silver is a gold lost” suggests that winning a silver medal can feel bittersweet — tinged with the disappointment of just missing out on gold. But the recently concluded Paris Olympics offered countless memorable moments that proved that silver can sometimes shine as bright as gold.
In today’s social media-driven world, where instant fame can be just a viral post away, some athletes who didn’t secure the top podium spot still captured the world’s attention. Some received more social media traction than their gold-winning counterparts, turning them into overnight sensations.
Take Yusuf Dikec, for instance. The 51-year-old Turkish shooter became a social media phenomenon after clinching the silver medal in the Mixed 10m Air Pistol event—a competition in which India’s Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh secured bronze. Dikec’s unassuming style—wearing regular glasses, a round-neck T-shirt, and keeping his left hand in his pocket—captivated the internet. His calm, almost cold, demeanour earned him monikers like “Hitman”, “John Wick” and even “Retired Secret Agent”. Fans humorously speculated that he purposely won silver to keep his “secret identity” intact!
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In contrast, his opponent in the gold medal match, Serbia’s Damir Mikec, donned the typical shooting gear, including blinders and ear defenders. This led to a flurry of memes comparing Mikec to the “good boy” who studied all year to ace the exam, while Dikec was likened to the backbencher who studied at the last minute and still scored well. If meme-making were an Olympic sport, choosing the gold medal would have been difficult.
The Dikec fever on social media garnered so much attention that the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Twitter/X handle posted an archival video from the 2011 World Championships where Dikec didn’t even wear the glasses.
Athletes from across sports at the Olympics started doing the ‘Dikec’ as their medal celebration. Australian athlete Nina Kennedy, after her gold, Sweden’s Armand Duplantis after his, and many more athletes posed as Dikec after their competitions. Even in club football, Fenerbahçe’s Ivan Kahveci did the Dikec celebration after scoring against LOSC Lille during a UEFA Champions League third round qualifier.
Another athlete who became a social media darling was China’s Zhou Yaqin. The 18-year-old gymnast, who won silver on the Balance Beam, left audiences charmed with her innocent reaction on the podium. Yaqin, who nudged out the great Simone Biles to make the podium, was probably more celebrated for her reaction than her journey.
Standing alongside Italy’s Alice D’Amato and Manila Esposito, Zhou was puzzled when her fellow medallists followed the tradition of biting their medals—a practice rooted in ancient traders testing the authenticity of gold. Zhou, with a spark of joy in her eyes, quickly joined in, pressing her medal against her smiley lips. The spontaneous and innocent gesture became a viral moment, inspiring fan art and winning hearts worldwide.
As India looks forward, with hope rather than expectation, to another silver medal – the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision on whether Vinesh Phogat will be awarded one for the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling is expected today – it’s worth reflecting on these moments from the Paris Olympics. In a Games filled with extraordinary performances, these silver medallists proved that sometimes, second place can steal the show and leave gold in shadow.
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