The Olympic Games (Olympics) don’t just shatter records that sound like science fiction to mere mortals, as China’s Pan Zhanle has just demonstrated by completing the 100-meter freestyle in 46.40 seconds. If the Games produce anything besides world records and feats of skill, they are icons. Paris is no exception. And in France, there is one discipline that has proven to be an unexpected and fruitful source of reference: Olympic shooting.

And we already have several examples.

Olympic Games with a science fiction flavor. It may not be the most popular discipline or the most followed, but Olympic shooting is gaining considerable fame at the Paris Olympics. The reason: the style of some of the medalists. Two in particular: South Korean Kim Yeji and Turkish Yusuf Dikec. Both can now boast of two achievements in France: hanging silver medals around their necks and becoming a viral phenomenon.

Who is Kim Yeji? The professional shooter from the Republic of Korea, world record holder and silver medalist in the women’s 10m air pistol shooting category, a record she still has to complete in the 25m test. If Kim Yeji has become an icon and a viral figure, it means more than just her trophy case. In fact, she has received far more attention than her compatriot Oh Ye Jin, who won gold in the women’s 10m shooting with a new Olympic record.

Getting Musk’s attention. What made the South Korean hitman go viral was his style and his stance. In fact, there are already those who call him a “cyberpunk star”. Although this description more or less fits Yeji, what is undeniable is that he has attracted the attention of thousands of people on the networks, including one of the most media personalities on the planet, billionaire Elon Musk.

Hat, stuffed elephant… and “the most amazing aura” Why? In Paris, despite the tension of the Olympics, Yeji competed with an emotionless face, a relaxed pose, a black jacket, a hat, and interesting professional glasses, which she used to prevent blurring and increase her accuracy during shooting. The lenses are popular with shooters, remember the organization of the Olympic Games, but their curious appearance unexpectedly attracted attention to Yeji. According to a report by NPR, “Cyberpunk glasses complete her look.”

Yeji’s photo included an even more interesting detail that caught the attention of Olympic fans: a stuffed elephant. The doll, which belongs to her daughter, was hanging in her pocket during the weekend competition in Paris, providing a striking contrast to the weapon the athlete wields. “Biggest aura I’ve ever seen in a photo,” one X user wrote on Tuesday, alongside a photo of Yeji testing. The tweet already has 421,000 likes.

After Jason Bourne and John Wick. One of the most successful tweets about Yeji was posted by Trung Phan, who made a humorous composition featuring three action movie characters (Jason Bourne, John Wick, Robert Mccall… and the South Korean hitman). “I’m teaming up,” Phan jokes before asking Hollywood to make the movie.

Musk seemed to enjoy the trip, and quickly responded: “That would be a bombshell.” In one of the images in the thread, Yeji can be seen wearing her signature glasses again, which are equipped with lenses, sunshades, and a mechanical iris designed to improve focus and help athletes like Yeji concentrate on their goals.

But much of his fame comes from wearing them during a pre-Paris test. During a competition in Azerbaijan in May, the South Korean shot the weapon while wearing a backwards hat and professional sunglasses. The shot earned him a world record. And it was Yeji’s cold, expressionless demeanor as she confirmed her record that made it go viral.

Other icon: Yusuf Dikec. Yeji is not the only icon who has left Olympic shooting in Paris for the time being. Yusuf Dikec, a Turkish shooter considerably older than the South Korean, who managed to win the silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with his partner Sevval İlayda, was equally admired.

Similarities and differences. Interestingly, Dikec became famous for a style that both shares and is clearly different from the style Yeji showed. Both are similar in their calmness, composure and composure, which is surprising considering they are in the finals of the Olympic Games, but they are different in everything else. If the press compares Yeji to a “cyberpunk star”, Dikec celebrates her “home style” style.

Why? The Turk competed without the equipment professional shooters typically use. No fancy glasses or ear flaps. In a viral image from the competition, Dikec is seen frowning, calm, hieratic, with one hand in his pocket, holding a gun. “I know a shooter when I see one,” jokes one user on X.

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