British diver Tom Daley has announced his retirement from the sport after winning a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The 30-year-old, who won gold in Tokyo in 2021, announced in an interview with British Vogue that he had decided to end his career. Daley, who added a fifth Olympic medal to his collection in the 10m synchronized diving in Paris, said: “It feels very, very surreal. I was so incredibly nervous going in there because I knew it would be my last Olympics.
“There was a lot of pressure and a lot of expectations. I couldn’t wait for it to be done. But when I walked out and saw my husband (Dustin Lance Black) and my kids (Robbie and Phoenix) and my friends and family in the audience, I thought: You know what? That’s exactly why I did this.”
“In the end, it was very emotional standing up there on the platform and knowing that it would be my last competitive jump. But at some point I have to make the decision and it feels like it’s the right time. It’s the right time to stop.”
Daley competed in five Games, making his debut in Beijing 2008, and won gold and bronze in Tokyo, silver in Paris and bronze in London and Rio. His gold medal came in the 10m synchronised swimming alongside Matty Lee in Tokyo, and this summer he returned to defend his title after his son Robbie convinced him to return to the sport.
Daley and his partner Noah Williams won the silver medal at the competition, finishing behind China two weeks ago.
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Speaking at London St Pancras after returning from Paris, Daley added: “I’m incredibly proud to have completed another cycle at the Olympic Games and for me it felt like a massive bonus because I had taken a two-year break from sport after Tokyo and didn’t know if I would return to the team or qualify for a place on Team GB. To win a medal in front of my family meant a lot to me.
“(I’m going to) spend more time with my kids, knit, grow my business to get more people interested in knitting, so stay tuned.”
