Five-time Olympic medallist Tom Daley has officially announced his retirement from diving.
At 30, Daley secured a silver medal in the men’s synchronised 10m platform event in Paris, partnering with Noah Williams. This achievement completes his Olympic medal collection, giving him one of each colour.
Daley made his Olympic debut in 2008 at just 14 years old. Over the years, he won bronze in the 10m platform at the London 2012 Games and again in Tokyo 2021, as well as a bronze in the men’s synchronised 10m platform at Rio 2016. He struck gold in the synchronised 10m platform event with Matty Lee in Tokyo, marking his pinnacle achievement. After Tokyo, Daley initially stepped back from the sport but returned for Paris, motivated by the chance to perform in front of his two children.
Reflecting on his decision, Daley told the BBC’s Meghan Owen as Team GB returned to London from Paris, “I’m really happy with how everything’s gone. It’s always hard when you say goodbye to your sport. Lots of things to process, but I think it’s the right time. This year felt like such a bonus and I got to compete in front of my family, my kids. I got to be the flagbearer. So yeah, bucket list ticked off on every occasion.”
When asked about his retirement plans, Daley said, “I want to be with my family. I’m really excited to spend some time with them and just feel a bit normal for a couple of days.”
After realising his dream of winning gold in Tokyo in 2021, Daley took a two-year hiatus from diving. However, he was encouraged to return to the sport when his son Robbie, now six, expressed a desire to see his dad compete at the Olympics.
Daley’s husband, Dustin Lance Black, Robbie, and their younger son Phoenix were present to witness him claim silver with Williams.
Daley had already decided before the Paris Games that this would be his final competition. “It was emotional at the end, up there on the platform, knowing it was going to be my last competitive dive,” he told *Vogue*. “But I have to make the decision at some point, and it feels like the right time. It’s the right time to call it a day.”
Daley leaves the sport as Team GB’s most decorated diver in Olympic history, having competed in five Olympic Games.
