That time Greg Louganis channeled Adonis in one of the sexiest bank commercials ever

Greg Louganis is the greatest diver to ever grace the swimming pool. But did you know he also starred in one of the sexiest bank commercials of all time, too?

Yes, you read that correctly: Louganis starred in a sexy bank commercial. The ad, which was released sometime in the early 1980s, is for Mercantile Bank.

But really, it’s for Louganis. He looks like a perfectly tanned Adonis.

At the time, Louganis was ascending into America’s conscience, one perfect dive at a time. After capturing silver at the 1976 Olympics, he was a favorite to win gold at the 1980 Moscow Games, though the U.S.’ boycott prevented him from competing.

Two years later, Louganis won a couple of titles at the world championships, where he received a perfect score of 10 from all seven judges.

At the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, Louganis became an American icon. He won gold in two events, trouncing all of the competition.

He did the same thing in 1988, becoming the only man to sweep both diving events at consecutive Olympics.

Louganis suffered a terrible accident at the Seoul Games, making his dominance even more dumbfounding. His head struck the diving board during the preliminary rounds, splitting his head open and giving him a concussion.

And yet, he came back to win gold.

Later, it was revealed that Louganis was dealing with much more than an injured head at the 1988 Olympics. He also tested positive for HIV in the lead-up to the Games.

Imagine that: Louganis tested positive for a virus that was considered to be a death sentence, and still performed at the top of his game–even after suffering his brutal injury.

Gay rumors dogged Louganis throughout his career, which makes the Mercantile Bank commercial all the more significant. Despite making Olympic history, Louganis’ graceful silhouette never graced the cover of Wheaties.

He blamed homophobia for the snub.

But there he was in that Mercantile ad, looking his tanned best and staring into a pristine Olympic-style swimming pool. “Gotta make this one count. Never let up. Strong jump. Stretch for the water,” he says to himself.

Then he jumps off the board, and twirls into the air. Louganis lands the perfect dive.

“Momentum! It works for Greg Louganis, and can for you, at Mercantile Bank,” the ad says.

After publicly coming out at the 1994 Gay Games, Louganis has become a leading voice for LGBTQ+ equality, and a devout advocate for people living with HIV.

He says the criticism he received for not publicly disclosing his HIV status prior to the ’84 Games only made him stronger.

“I may have been the brunt of criticism, but it forced people to take a look at it,” he told Queerty in 2014. “It forced people to talk about it. It forced people to learn how you get HIV and how you can’t get HIV. So, it turned out to be very empowering and meaningful.”

Now 63, Louganis remains a champion for people living with HIV. He recently put up three of his five Olympic medals for sale to raise money for an Indiana AIDS service organization.

Years later, Louganis eventually got his Wheaties box. That sexy Mercantile Bank spot was well ahead of its time.