Ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a 13 year-old Tom Daley said, “I hope to be diving still
in 2024.” Fast forward 16 years and the now 30 year-old has just won silver in the 10m
platform synchro with Noah Williams in what could potentially book-end Great Britian’s
most decorated diver’s career.
After becoming Great Britain’s second youngest Olympian when competing in the 2008
Olympics in China, the Plymouth-born diver has enjoyed a successful career on the
worldwide stage. He has become World champion on two occasions whilst also holding
European championships three times.
As the diving prodigy grew up in the UK limelight, the world got to know more about the
family. Tom’s father Robert Daley passed away from illness before London 2012. As Tom sat
down with the BBC before the Paris games, he rewatched his initial documentary from as a
child. An emotional Tom watched as his late father recalled “diving is my hobby.” Daley
commented: “To know how much he gave up and sacrificed for me, I hope he doesn’t regret
doing that. He got to see me compete in Beijing in 2008. That’s the best thing about
qualifying so young was that he got to see me compete at an Olympics. By 2012, he was
already gone so he hasn’t see me win a gold medal and have children.”
After a 7 th place finish in his debut Olympics, Tom was a poster boy for the London 2012
Olympics where he claimed a bronze medal in the 10m individual, despite retaking his final
dive. In the build-up to Rio 2016, Tom was in fine form placing third in the World
championships the previous year whilst retaining his European Champion status months
prior to the Olympics. The Olympics didn’t go to plan for Tom though, despite claiming a
world best points tally in qualification, he failed to make it out of the semi-finals, placing
18 th . He didn’t leave Brazil empty handed as Tom claimed a bronze medal in the synchro
final with partner Dan Goodfellow.
The Team GB diver’s dream came true as he won the eluded gold medal at Tokyo 2020 with
Matty Lee in the synchro event. Reflecting on his career with the BBC, Tom says, “there was
so much emotion at Tokyo. I’d put so much in to my whole life to winning that gold medal.
Standing on that podium, you think of all the things from as a kid that led up to it.”
Daley initially retired from competing after Tokyo. The U-turn is his decision was rather
special. The family spent time in Colorado Springs as they prepared to welcome the arrival
of their second son Phoenix. Unbeknown to the family, the city once held the Olympics.
They visited a museum with son Robbie; at the end there was a video of what it was like to
be an Olympian. Daley admitted he was crying after and his mind was made up to return
when Robbie turned to him and said, “papa, I want to see you perform at the Olympics.”
Daley and Williams competed in Paris on 29 th July where they finished with a score of 463.44
behind China’s 490.35 and ahead of third place Canada with 422.13. Speaking of the victory
Daley said, “it’s just so special doing it in front of my son who asked me to come back. I now
have one of every colour so I’ve completed the set.”
It was an emotional day for partner Noah Williams too who finished third from last in Tokyo
individuals before his coach passed away.
Jane Figueiredo began coaching Tom the year after he won bronze in London 2012. She was
visibly taken aback after the duo’s silver medal in Paris. “I’m just over the moon for them.
There’s been a lot going on behind the scenes that most people don’t realise in an athlete’s
life. For them to achieve silver is absolutely brilliant. China were just too good for us but we
hung in there and I couldn’t be more proud.”
“You have to be consistent and think through tour skills, and make sure you execute. The
famous coach Carl Lewis once told me just execute the skills. For Tom and I it’s like cold
turkey, we’ve been down this road before. For Noah, it’s his first medal. He lost his beautiful
coach a few years ago. For us it’s a very special occasion. David Jenkins set him up and I just
took him the rest of the way. It’s a very emotional day. We are a partnership – we are here
today because of all the staff at team with Great Britain.”
Paris 2024 has seen Team GB collate the most medals in diving, with further events still to
take place. 16 medals have been won at the Summer Olympics, 11 of those since Daley won
bronze in London 2012. In Paris so far, Team GB have won three bronze medals and a silver.
That’s the most at any single Olympics for Great Britian. It is clear that GB’s diving success is
growing. That is hugely down to Tom Daley’s career. Without his success in and out of the
pool, there would not be so many talented divers from Great Britian breaking onto the
international stage now. He has certainly left a legacy behind.
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