by Tom Daley, a key player in Britain’s Olympic renaissance, has confirmed that the Paris Games were his last. The 30-year-old is retiring from competitive diving after five Games, five medals and a legacy that goes far beyond the unprecedented success he achieved in his sport.
Daley returned to Britain on Monday after completing another successful Olympics for the British team. The silver medal he won alongside Noah Williams in the 10m synchronised diving was one of 65 medals for the British team, more than those won in Tokyo three years ago. Daley, who was the British team’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony, said it was “the end of an era” but “it was the right time to call it a day”.
In an interview with Vogue Magazine, Daley said he made the decision to withdraw before the competition even began in Paris and the experience of competing in the final, knowing it would be his ultimate effort, was “surreal.”
“I was incredibly nervous going in there because I knew it would be my last Olympics,” he said. “In the end, it was very emotional standing up there on the platform and knowing it would be my last competitive jump. But at some point I have to make the decision.”
After the British team arrived at London’s St Pancras station on Monday, Daley told the BBC that his decision was “very emotional” but that he was “really happy” with how his departure had gone. “It’s really hard when you say goodbye to your sport,” he said. “It’s the right time.”
“This year was a real bonus. I was able to compete in front of my family and children, I was able to carry the flag and I was able to tick a lot of things off my wish list.”
Daley has competed for Plymouth Diving Club since the age of seven and made his Olympic debut at the age of 14 in Beijing 2008. He won bronze in the men’s 10m platform at London 2012 and repeated the feat in Rio and Tokyo, where he also experienced the crowning moment of his career: a gold medal in the 10m synchronised diving with Matty Lee.
Daley is the most successful diver in British Olympic history and has also won four world championships, five European championships and four Commonwealth Games gold medals. He hinted he would retire after his Tokyo success, but said last year he would try to compete in Paris.
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Daley’s life was marked by challenges during the 16 years he was in the public eye, but his handling of adversity helped further establish him as a national figure. His emergence in Beijing led to bullying at his school, while his father Robert, who was also his coach, died of a brain tumor in 2011, six days after Daley’s 17th birthday.
Despite his success in London and his role as the face of the Games, Daley was also the target of massive online abuse in 2012. Two men were arrested for comments posted on Twitter. A year later, Daley came out as gay and announced his relationship with Dustin Lance Black, who is now his husband.
“My life changed massively this spring when I met someone,” he said in a YouTube video. “They make me feel so happy, so safe. Everything just feels great and that someone is a guy.”
Daley’s courage, joy, natural talent for social media (and, yes, his stunning abs) have helped him build a public presence that extends beyond his extensive sporting success. He has become one of the most recognisable LGBTQ+ faces in Britain and, despite complicated feelings about wanting openly gay athletes to serve as role models, has recently turned to activism, arguing that the Olympic movement should not allow countries where homosexuality is illegal to compete in the Games.
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His role as a father of two boys has dictated his life choices in recent years, and Daley said he chose Paris following an intervention from his eldest son, Robbie. After a visit to the Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs last year, Daley said Robbie said, “Dad, I want to see you jump in the Olympics,” and that desire “lit a new fire in me.”
Daley told Vogue that stepping onto the diving board at the Paris Aquatic Centre confirmed his decision. “There was a lot of pressure and expectation. I couldn’t wait to finally do it… but when I walked out and saw my husband and my kids and my friends and family in the crowd, I thought: you know what? That’s exactly why I did this. I’m here and no matter what happens in the competition itself, I’m going to be happy.”
Daley’s next move is now eagerly awaited, but if all else fails, he may turn to crocheting. A hobby he discovered in the stands at the Tokyo Games is now a passion and his designs, including Olympic medal cases, can be found on her own Instagram account.
