Yusuf Dikec, Turkey’s Olympic pistol shooter, has taken steps to trademark his viral shooting stance from the Paris Games, according to his coach Erdinc Bilgili, who spoke on Monday.
Bilgili explained that the decision to file for trademark protection with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office was prompted by the discovery of several unauthorized attempts to trademark Dikec’s distinctive pose.
“After learning about multiple trademark registration efforts made without Yusuf Dikec’s consent, we submitted our own application about a week ago,” Bilgili said, noting that the unauthorized applications have since been rejected.
Dikec’s relaxed shooting stance captured global attention, sparking a wave of memes and comparisons to fictional spy James Bond. The pose even caught the eye of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who shared a video of himself mimicking the stance.
Additionally, Dikec’s pose became popular among athletes, with Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson adopting it during his goal celebration against Crystal Palace in the English Premier League.
Since Dikec’s performance, which earned him a silver medal alongside teammate Sevval Ilayda Tarhan in the mixed-team 10m air pistol event—Turkey’s first medal in the discipline—various memorabilia featuring his stance have appeared for sale.
Items like T-shirts, mugs, and phone cases have been produced, as reported by Turkish news channel TRT Haber.
The Turkish trademark office has not yet responded to AFP’s requests for comment on the matter. In an interview earlier in August, Dikec explained the practical reason behind his hand-in-pocket stance.
“I use it to maintain stability and balance while shooting. There’s no deeper significance,” he said.
