100-Year-Old Man In Speedo Performs Successful Dive At World Championships (Lots Of Splash Though)

Spectators at the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Doha, Qatar were treated to an absolute spectacle: 100-year-old Iranian Taghi Askar yeeted himself off the 3-meter springboard ahead of the women's competition.

Now, there was more to it than that. They didn't just pick a geezer out of the crowd and hurl him off a diving board. Askar is actually a diving legend.

73 years before his dive in Qatar, Askar competed at the first-ever Asian Games which were held in New Delhi in 1951. Back then the city was even newer. He won two medals at those games, and before his return to the sport as a centenarian, Askar talked about how Iran used to be a powerhouse in the world of diving.

"The first time I attended the Asian Games in New Delhi in 1951 the level of diving in Iran was very high and I achieved two medals," Askari told World Aquatics.

"But by the time the games were in Tehran in 1974 the Chinese swimmers had entered this beautiful sport and they started to improve by a lot - we just couldn’t catch them as we stayed at the same level we started at."

Just amazing. What an incredible story from a history-making athlete. Here's some amateur video of the dive:

I kid…

Now, here's some professionally shot video of the actual dive:

First of all, Askar is looking good for the big 1-0-0. 

People are amazed by the fact that he was willing to attempt the dive. But forget the dive; how about the willingness to wear a Speedo in front of a crowd like that at 100?

I'm 28 and in incredible shape (okay, not exactly, but not terrible for someone who sits on their ass all day at the computer for a living), and even I wouldn't do that. 

They'd bring out the Speedo and I'd be like, "Can't wear swim trunks… and maybe leave my shirt on?"

Askar merely getting the dive off is impressive enough, but I hate to say: it was good that this was an exhibition dive, because It wasn't the finest dive of his career.

I watch diving for a couple of days every four years when the Summer Olympics roll around, so I think I know a thing or two about the sport. The biggest metric for what makes a good dive is the amount of splash. You want as little as possible.

That was not the case for Askari's dive. In fact, I hope the people in the front row had ponchos at the ready like they were sitting in the splash zone at SeaWorld.

It was no silky smooth Greg Louganis pool entry, but still impressive for a guy who retired from competitive diving 59 years ago.

Yes, Askar has not taken a competitive dive since before man walked on the moon.

All kidding aside, congratulations to Taghi Askar on a heck of an accomplishment. What an absolute legend that guy is.