Tom Daley is going in style.
The five-time Olympic medalist from Great Britain announced his retirement from diving on Monday after adding a silver medal to his collection at the Paris Games.
“It feels very, very surreal,” he told British Vogue.
Daley made his Olympic debut at just 14 years old at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, making him one of the youngest Olympians in Great Britain's history. He became an Olympic medalist in his home country at 18 years old when he earned a bronze medal 2012 London Olympics, and he collected another bronze four years later in Rio. He won his first Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 10m platform synchronized dive and added a third career bronze with his third-place finish in the individual event.
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At 30 years old, Daley returned to the Olympic stage for the final time in Paris. While he was nervous knowing it was his last time competing on the global stage, his family's support helped him carry on.
“I felt so incredibly nervous going into this, knowing it was my last Olympics,” he said. “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.”
Daley went on to win silver in Paris, placing second in the synchronized dive with partner Noah Williams.
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Along with diving excellence, Daley has made waves with his spectator hobby. Daley went viral for his knitting and crocheting from the bleachers in Tokyo, and he continued this summer with a Paris-themed creation.
Daley will now have more time for knitting and crocheting, and he believes now is the right time to put a cap on his diving career.
“It was emotional at the end, up there on the platform, knowing it was going to be my last competitive dive,” he 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.”
