Hal Haig Prieste
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| Olympic medal record | |||
Competitor for  United States |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Diving | |||
| Bronze | 1920 Antwerp | 10 metre platform | |
Hal Haig "Harry" Prieste (November 23, 1896 – April 19, 2001) was an American athlete who participated in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp as a diver.
He was born Haig Prieste in Fresno, California to Armenian immigrant parents. Their original surname was Keshishian (meaning son of a priest), which was translated to Prieste when they came to America. "Haig" is a form of "Hayk", the name of the great patriarch of the Armenians. Prieste first took "Harry" as his American name, but later switched to "Hal."
He is known for stealing the Olympic flag, as a prank, following his diving competition for which he won a bronze medal. He was dared to take the flag by his friend, Duke Kahanamoku. The flag he stole is reported to be the first to display the now-famous five interlocking rings. At the age of 103, he returned the flag in a ceremony at the 2000 Sydney Games.
He also competed in the 1920 plain high diving event, but was eliminated in the first round.
He died at the age of 104, having been the oldest American former Olympic medalist.
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