Tom Daley announces retirement in emotional statement after Olympics | Other | Sport
Tom Daley has announced his retirement from diving at the age of 30 following the conclusion of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Team GB athlete won a silver medal in Paris with his 10m diving partner Noah Williams after being convinced to return for one final tournament on the global stage.
But Daley has confirmed he will not participating in the next Games in Los Angeles in 2028 after announcing his plans to step away from professional sport.
Announcing his decision in a statement, Daley admitted he already knew he was going to retire from diving before he took part in the men’s 10m synchronised platform event alongside Williams.
“It was emotional at the end, up there on the platform, knowing it was going to be my last competitive dive,” Daley said.
“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 has epitomised Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s recent success on the international stage after making his Olympic bow in Beijing 16 years ago at the age of just 14.
He inspired a generation of young swimmers and divers after winning a bronze medal in the individual 10m platform event at his home games at London 2012 when he was still a teenager.
Daley also clinched a memorable gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games, which took place in 2021 without any fans, and celebrated his final hurrah in Paris with silver. In total, he collected five Olympic medals.
In Paris, Daley’s husband Dustin Lance Black and their two children, Robbie and Phoenix, watched on as he brought home a fifth medal. It marked an emotional journey for the Briton, who planned to retire after Tokyo three years ago, only to be convinced to return to diving in 2023 by his young son.
And Daley insists he had no regrets about stepping out in front his family for one last time on the diving board.
“It feels very, very surreal,” he added. “I felt so incredibly nervous going into this, knowing it was my last Olympics. There was a lot of pressure and expectation.
“I was eager for it to be done… but when I walked out, and saw my husband [Lance] 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. I’m here, and no matter what happens in the competition itself, I’m going to be happy’.”
