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Taghi Askari prepares to dive at the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Doha, Qatar.
CNN
—
100-year-old Taghi Askari stood on the edge of a platform with ripples beneath the water, preparing to dive as he had done many times before.
Iranian athletes won silver and bronze medals at the first-ever Asian Games in 1951, and Askari has never lost his passion for the sport.
Fast-forward to 2024, with two weeks left until the World Aquatics Masters Championships, where he will become the oldest competitor, with an exhibition dive at the 2024 World Championships in Doha on Friday.
“For me, I’ve loved diving since I was a teenager until today. I’ve always loved diving. Nothing has changed between 1951 and now except for my performance.” Ascari said. told World Swimming.
Askari’s first experience diving was at a pool near her childhood home in Iran, where other children were somersaulting into the water.
world swimming
Taghi Askari won medals and national titles at the Asian Games in Iran.
That ignited his lifelong passion for diving, and he went on to win medals at the Asian Games and national titles.
“When I was competing at the national level, the last time I competed in a championship was when I was 41 years old,” he said.
“I won a gold medal at national level and then I said goodbye to the sport, but at least I got a gold medal.”
The sport has changed a lot since Ascari started diving.
“By the time the games were held in Tehran in 1974, Chinese swimmers had entered this beautiful sport and they had begun to improve significantly. Staying at the same level as when they started, we were catching up with them. I couldn’t do it,” he said.
The Iranian athlete will be one of the participants in the World Aquatics Masters Championships. This tournament will be held immediately after the Elite World Championships and is open to participants aged 25 and over.
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