That’s one way to make sure you make the smallest splash possible when you hit the water.

China has had an extremely impressive showing in diving at the 2016 Olympics. The country’s athletes have won gold in six of the seven diving categories to have awarded medals as of this writing, including the men’s synchronized 10-meter platform, where Chen Aisen and Lin Yue performed better than anyone else in the world.

So what’s the secret to the pair’s success? Dedicated training? Intense concentration? Selfless devotion?

According to this video clip, the answer seems to be magic powers.

Originally the handiwork of Chris Nik, the video starts with Aisen and Yue bounding towards the end of the platform. They leap into the air, their bodies rotating at the exact same speed, before slicing into the water of…two plastic cups?!?

With a quick bit of video editing, and the unexpected visual similarities between a pool of choppy water and rock-speckled asphalt, the pair seem to have shrunk mid-dive. The transition is so smooth and quick that it takes a moment for your brain to process what it just saw, so thankfully there’s a GIF version of the video as well.

http://imgur.com/cAvqVdR

With Yue still being just 25 years old, and Aisen a mere 20, it’s likely that their legends will continue to grow, despite the video that shows them shrinking.

Source: CNET via YOMYOMF
Featured image: Twitter/@prostheticknowl