Tom Daley was recently photographed using a Pride flag towel during Olympics training after Paris 2024 organisers promised to provide athletes with a platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
While political gestures on podiums are still banned, the organisers stated last year that they would leverage the Olympic spotlight to promote a broader message of diversity. Daley, who previously used a Union Flag towel at his previous two Olympic appearances, is a leading contender to carry the Team GB flag at the Opening Ceremony on Friday.
Daley, who used a Union Flag towel during the Rio 2016 and London 2012 Olympics, switched to a rainbow-coloured towel in Paris on Monday. This change comes after the organisers incorporated rainbow colours into their logo to mark an international day against homophobia. However, organisers have dismissed claims that the trans flag inspires Paris 2024’s pink and pale blue colour palette.

Paris 2024 organisers have affirmed that athletes will have “plenty of opportunities” to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Tony Estanguet, the organising committee president, emphasised that the event has a significant chance to convey and demonstrate the need for change in this area.
Daley was seen training at the Olympic Aquatics Centre in Paris before the start of the games. The IOC relaxed rules in 2021 to allow athletes to wear rainbow colours, first seen at the Tokyo Games. In Paris, athletes will also be “free to speak and to share their messages” outside of competition, according to Estanguet.
LGBTQ+ activists who waved rainbow flags in Moscow’s Red Square and protested in St. Petersburg were arrested during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, highlighting the challenges still faced by the community.
Daley, along with Rower Helen Glover, is a top contender for the Team GB flagbearer position. It will be Daley’s fifth Olympics and Glover’s fourth. Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England described Daley as “a talisman” and a “five times Olympian, four-time medallist, Olympic champion,” emphasising his deep commitment to Team GB and his leadership qualities.