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Taghi Askari before his show jump at the World Swimming Championships
Photo:
Evgenia Novozhenina / REUTERS
Taghi Askari had long since ended his career. That was in 1983. The Iranian made his comeback at the Swimming World Championships. Now 100 years old, the former diver performed another jump from the three-meter board in Doha – outside of the competition.
Askari received a medal after his jump, and in a video he was touched by the audience's reaction.
“I have always loved diving, from the time I was a teenager until today,” Askari is quoted on the website of the world swimming association World Aquatics. "Between 1951 and today, nothing has changed except my performance," he continued.
He was alluding to the highlight of his career. In 1951, Askari won a silver and a bronze medal at the first Asian Games in New Delhi, followed by national titles.
The 100-year-old will still compete in the World Aquatics Masters Championships, a competition held shortly after the elite world championships for competitors over 25 years old. Not surprising as the oldest participant.
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