The British diver Tom Daley announced his retirement from the sport, after winning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. The 30-year-old won gold at Tokyo in 2021 and revealed he had decided to end his career during an interview.
Daley first competed in the Olympics during the 2008 Summer Games at the age of 14. In his next appearance, Tome Daley took home bronze in London 2012 and Tokyo in 2021 in the 10m platform. He also clinched a bronze in the men’s synchronised 10m platform in Rio 2016.
Tom Daley retires after winning silver at Olympics 2024
Speaking to British Vogue, Daley said, “It feels very, very surreal. I felt so incredibly nervous going into this, knowing it was my last Olympics. There was a lot of pressure and expectations. I was eager for it to be done. But when I walked out, and saw my husband [Dustin Lance Black] and kids [Robbie and Phoenix] and my friends and family in the audience, I was like, you know what?
This is exactly why I did this. It was emotional at the end, up there on the platform, knowing it was going to be my last competitive dive. 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.”
“I’m incredibly proud for doing another cycle at an Olympic Games and for me, it felt like a massive bonus because I took two years out of the sport after Tokyo and I didn’t know if I would get back into the team or qualify for a spot with Team GB. To come away with a medal in front of my family, it meant a lot to me. [I’ll spend] more time with my kids, knitting, expand my business to get more people into knitting, so watch this space,” he continued.