Tarics was part of the gold medal winning Hungarian water polo team who overcome hosts Germany in the final at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games and he was paid a visit by the general secretary of the Hungarian Olympic Committee (HOC) Bence Szabo and the Hungarian Water Polo Federation (HWPF) President Dr Denes Kemeny, at a special celebration near his home in San Francisco to mark the occasion on Monday (September 23).

Tarics played two matches at the 1936 Olympics, scoring two goals.

"Maybe, it is a surprise for lots of people that such a little nation like Hungary has the oldest Olympic champion," Kemeny told the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).

"The fact he is a water polo player is rather less surprising, because every fourth Hungarian gold medal winner is an Olympic champion in this sport."

The gold medal winning Hungarian Olympic water polo team at Berlin 1936

Kemeny was himself head coach of the Hungarian water polo squads that won three Olympic gold medals at Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.

Tarics, who moved to America after World War Two to become an engineering teacher before setting up a successful architecture and engineering practice, was presented with a specially designed Hungarian bathrobe, a special tableau with pictures of all nine Hungarian Olympic champion water polo teams, with the centenarian in the middle, along with an award winning 1994 Tokaji wine.

Before driving home in his car with a GOLD 36 number plate on, Tarics was invited by Kemeny to attend next year's European Water Polo Championships in his native Budapest as well as the 2021 World Championships, which are also due to take place in the Hungarian capital.

He had attended London 2012 as the oldest living Olympic champion. 

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