From child prodigy to Olympic legend: A look back on the remarkable career of Tom Daley

Exceptional. Incredible. Iconic. These are just some of the words used to describe the astonishing life and career of Tom Daley upon the announcement of his retirement.

Daley revealed that he would be retiring in an interview with British Vogue, describing the emotions he faced going into the Olympics knowing it would be his final competition. “I felt so incredibly nervous going into this, knowing it was my last Olympics. There was a lot of pressure and expectation… but when I walked out, and saw my husband and kids and my friends and family in the audience, I was like you know what? This is exactly why I did this.”

The prospect of a final Olympics witnessed by his family, husband Lance, and his two young sons, Robbie, 6, and Phoenix, 1, was the driving force behind his return to the sport following on from his stunning gold medal at Tokyo 2020, after which he effectively retired.

Paris 2024 would be an unprecedented fifth Olympics for Daley, a first for a British diver

Moving on with family life in the US, many suspected that the golden victory would be the swansong to an illustrious career. Yet, fate had other plans.

A trip to the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado saw the Olympic flame within Daley reignited. His eldest son Robbie expressed his desire to see his Papa dive in the Olympics and soon after, Daley would return to compete after a two-year hiatus.

Paris 2024 would be an unprecedented fifth Olympics for Daley, a first for a British diver. Alongside diving partner Noah Williams, he set his sights on a fifth Olympic medal, attempting to retain his 10m Platform Synchro title.

16 years earlier, Daley became the youngest person ever to win a gold medal at the European Championships, seeing the youngster thrust into the media spotlight as a future British star. That same year, he would compete at his first Olympics in Beijing, aged just 14, becoming the second-youngest British male Olympian in history.

Beijing would be the only time Tom’s father, Rob, would get to see his son compete at an Olympics, he passed away from a brain tumour in 2011

But behind the success, Daley was a troubled child, experiencing periods of bullying and struggling with staying away from his family whilst training. He described to the BBC that he felt like a “very tortured soul” during this time, dealing with feeling “different” and that he “didn’t quite fit in.”

Finishing 8th in the synchro and 7th in the individual, Beijing gave Daley vital experience competing on the biggest global stage necessary for future success, with all eyes on the 30th Olympiad in London.

The Games also proved to be personally significant for Daley in other ways. Beijing would be the only time Tom’s father, Rob, would get to see his son compete at an Olympics, he passed away from a brain tumour in 2011. Daley described how his father was “there for every competition and every training session”, noting the sacrifices he made to facilitate his son’s Olympic dream. The loss would be hugely significant for Daley going into London 2012.

Having won the World Championship title in 2009 and numerous World Series diving competitions, Daley became one of the poster-boys for the London Games. With high expectations of a medal, the pressure was well and truly on for the now 18-year-old Daley to deliver.

London’s success saw Daley solidified as a household name in Britain

Despite disappointment in the synchro with partner Peter Waterfield, the individual event would be a different story.

Starting in dramatic fashion, Daley was allowed to retake his opening dive following a large number of camera flashes in the audience which distracted him. An impressive performance saw the diver lead the field by just 0.15 points in the closing round of dives. His competitors however ultimately overtook him with a higher degree of difficulty in their final dives, but Daley would win a brilliant bronze after an incredibly difficult year in the wake of losing his father. Overwhelmed with jubilation, he and his team memorably jumped into the pool to celebrate the end of a 52-year wait for an individual British diving medal.

London’s success saw Daley solidified as a household name in Britain, seeing him become a TV regular on infamous Saturday night primetime show Splash!. In the show celebrities would compete weekly, coached, and advised by Daley, live from London’s Aquatic Centre to varying degrees of success.

BIn 2017 he would win his second world title, producing a terrific display to leave the rest of the field stunned

But elsewhere, Tom Daley was making a more significant splash in other areas. At the end of 2013, Daley immediately became one of the highest profile LGBTQ+ athletes in the world, when he explicitly spoke about his sexuality in a vlog posted to YouTube. His bravery kickstarted over a decade of activism and support for other LGBTQ+ athletes, many daunted by the prospect of going public with their sexual identities. The significance of his vocalism on issues such as the criminalisation of queerness around the world and the decisions to award major sporting events to countries which enforce this, cannot be understated. Since Daley came out in 2013, the number of out Olympians has nearly increased tenfold.

Rio 2016 saw Daley win another bronze, this time in the synchro alongside Daniel Goodfellow. The individual was a huge blow for the Briton however, who was left “heartbroken” following being eliminated from the event in the semi-finals.

But it’s a testament to Daley’s passion for the sport, his hard work, effort, and dedication, in how he responded to the disappointment. In 2017, he would win his second world title, producing a terrific display to leave the rest of the field stunned. A year later, he would claim Commonwealth gold in the synchro event.

With new synchro partner Matty Lee, in front of an empty crowd in the heat of COVID-19 restrictions, the Plymouth-born diver would finally claim the gold which had been his dream from the very beginning

Such successes were all building towards the realisation of Tom’s golden Olympic dream in Tokyo.

Having married his partner Lance in 2017 and his son Robbie, born in 2018, Daley described having a “different headspace” as a father heading into his fourth Olympics.

With new synchro partner Matty Lee, in front of an empty crowd in the heat of COVID-19 restrictions, the Plymouth-born diver would finally claim the gold which had been his dream from the very beginning. A superb final dive saw them edge ahead of Chinese pair Cao and Chen, winning by just over 1 point to end China’s golden record in the event which stretched back to Sydney 2000.

Daley would add another bronze to his tally in the individual, but it will be standing alongside Lee on top of an Olympic podium, a glorious gold around his neck, which will be most treasured by the diving icon.

Five Olympics. Five medals. One phenomenal career. Tom Daley’s legacy in sport will be felt for years to come

So that takes us to Paris, where for the final time, Daley would look down from the 10m platform at an Olympic Games.

Cheered on by his husband, sons Robbie and Phoenix, and dozens of British supporters, Daley would seal a super silver alongside Williams, completing the medal set and ending his career as Britain’s most decorated diver.

Five Olympics. Five medals. One phenomenal career. Tom Daley’s legacy in sport will be felt for years to come. Whether that be in helping to put British diving on the map, putting LGBTQ+ issues into the spotlight through his tireless activism, or simply inspiring others with his monumental sporting achievements, Daley has left a lasting impact on our culture which will continue well beyond his competitive retirement.