Tom Daley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tom Daley
OBE OLY

Daley after being a medalist at the London Olympics in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Robert Daley
Born	(1994-05-21) 21 May 1994 (age 31) Plymouth, Devon, England
Occupation	Diver television personality
Height	1.73 m
Weight	74 kilograms (11 st 9 lb)
Spouse(s)	Dustin Lance Black ​ (m. 2017)​
Sport
Country	Great Britain England
Sport	Diving
Event(s)	3 m, 3 m synchro, 10 m, 10 m synchro
Club	Plymouth Diving Club London High Performance Centre
Partner	Noah Williams Matty Lee Daniel Goodfellow Grace Reid
Coached by	Jane Figueiredo
Medal record Diving Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 1 3 World Championships 4 2 2 European Championships 5 3 0 Commonwealth Games 4 1 0 Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Gold 2020 Tokyo 10 m synchro Silver 2024 Paris 10 m synchro Bronze 2012 London 10 m platform Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro 10 m synchro Bronze 2020 Tokyo 10 m platform World Championships Gold 2009 Rome 10 m platform Gold 2015 Kazan Team event Gold 2017 Budapest 10 m platform Gold 2024 Doha Team event Silver 2017 Budapest 3 m mixed synchro Silver 2024 Doha 10 m synchro Bronze 2015 Kazan 10 m platform Bronze 2019 Gwangju 10 m synchro European Championships Gold 2008 Eindhoven 10 m platform Gold 2012 Eindhoven 10 m platform Gold 2016 London 10 m platform Gold 2016 London Mixed 3 m synchro Gold 2020 Budapest 10 m synchro Silver 2014 Berlin 10 m platform Silver 2016 London 10 m synchro Silver 2020 Budapest 10 m platform Junior World Championships Gold 2012 Adelaide 10 m platform Gold 2012 Adelaide Synchro 3 m springboard Silver 2008 Aachen 10 m platform Silver 2008 Aachen 3 m springboard Representing  England Commonwealth Games Gold 2010 Delhi 10 m platform Gold 2010 Delhi 10 m synchro Gold 2014 Glasgow 10 m platform Gold 2018 Gold Coast 10 m synchro Silver 2014 Glasgow 10 m synchro

Thomas Robert Daley is a famous English diver and television personality. He was born on May 21, 1994. Tom is an Olympic champion, winning a gold medal in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform event at the 2020 Olympics. He also won two World Championship titles in the 10-meter platform, first in 2009 when he was just fifteen, and again in 2017.

Tom has also earned several Olympic bronze medals. He won bronze in the 2012 platform event, the 2016 synchronized event, and the 2020 platform event. At the 2024 Olympics, he won a silver medal in the men's synchronized 10-meter event. This made him the first British diver to win five Olympic medals. He also won World titles in team events in 2015 and 2024. Tom is a four-time World Champion, a two-time junior World Champion, a five-time European champion, and a four-time Commonwealth champion.

Tom started diving at age seven. His talent was quickly noticed at Plymouth Diving Club. He began competing nationally and internationally when he was nine. In 2008, at just fourteen, he was Britain's youngest competitor at the Summer Olympics. He was also the youngest from any country to reach a diving final. In 2009, Tom was ranked number one in the world for the 10-meter platform. He won two gold medals for England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. These wins were in the 10-meter synchronized diving and the 10-meter individual platform.

After the 2012 Olympics, Tom appeared on the TV show Splash!. He was a mentor to the celebrity contestants. In 2023, he became an assistant diving coach at UCLA. In August 2024, Tom Daley announced he was retiring from professional diving.

Early Life and Education

Thomas Robert Daley was born in Plymouth, England. He has two younger brothers, William and Ben. Sadly, his father, Robert, passed away in 2011 when Tom was 17. Tom's early diving heroes included Canadian diver Alexandre Despatie and British diver Leon Taylor.

A coach noticed Tom's talent during his diving lessons. He joined a competitive team in September 2002. His first competition was in April 2003, where he won a medal. By September 2003, he was winning multiple events at invitational competitions. He won his age group at the British Championships in 2004, 2005, and 2006. In June 2004, at age 10, he became the youngest winner of the National Junior (under-18) platform event.

School Life

Tom attended Eggbuckland Community College in Plymouth. From age 13, he supported Childline, a helpline for children. He faced some challenges at school after the Olympics. His father temporarily took him out of school because of this. Tom was praised for speaking up about his experiences.

He later received a scholarship to Plymouth College. Tom managed his schoolwork around his diving. He did very well in his exams, earning top grades.

Diving Achievements

Tom Daley has had an amazing diving career. He competed in many international events.

Early International Success

In January 2007, at age twelve, Tom was allowed to compete at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival. He won a silver medal in synchronized diving. Later that year, he won the senior platform title at the British National Championships. He also started competing in FINA international events. Tom won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Young Personality award in 2007.

In January 2008, Tom became the youngest winner of the senior British 10-meter title. He also won his first medals on the FINA circuit. In March 2008, he became the youngest person to win a gold medal at the European Championships. He competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, finishing seventh in the individual 10-meter platform. A month later, he won two silver medals at the FINA Junior World Championships.

World Champion and Olympic Medals

In February 2009, Tom won his individual British 10-meter championship again. In July 2009, he surprisingly won the individual platform title at the FINA World Championships in Rome. He was only 15 years old.

At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, Tom won two gold medals. One was for synchronized 10-meter platform with Max Brick. The other was for the individual 10-meter platform. He won the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award for the third time in 2010.

In 2011, Tom partnered with Peter Waterfield for synchronized diving. They finished sixth at the World Championships. Tom finished fifth in the individual event.

London 2012 Olympics

Tom Daley was a big star for the 2012 London Olympics. He was featured on banners and advertisements. In the 10-meter men's synchronized platform event, he and Peter Waterfield finished fourth. This was a disappointment for them.

However, in the individual 10-meter men's platform event, Tom performed much better. After a strong semi-final, he was in fourth place. In the final, he won a bronze medal. This was a huge achievement for him and for Great Britain.

After the Olympics

After the 2012 Olympics, Tom continued to compete. In 2013, he won the individual 10-meter platform event at the British Gas Diving Championships. He also appeared on the TV show Splash! as an expert.

In 2014, Tom moved his training to the London Aquatics Centre with a new coach, Jane Figueiredo. He won a silver medal in synchronized 10-meter platform and a gold medal in the individual 10-meter platform at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He also hosted a travel series called Tom Daley Goes Global.

In 2015, Tom won a gold medal with Rebecca Gallantree in the team event at the World Championships in Russia. He also won a bronze medal in the individual 10-meter platform.

Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics

For the 2016 season, Tom partnered with Daniel Goodfellow for synchronized diving. They won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics in the synchronized 10-meter platform. In the individual event, Tom had a tough day and did not qualify for the finals.

In 2017, Tom won a gold medal in the 10-meter platform event at the FINA World Championships in Budapest. In 2018, he and Daniel Goodfellow won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Australia.

From October 2018, Tom partnered with Matty Lee for synchronized diving. They won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships. In 2021, Tom and Matty Lee won their first World Cup gold medal in synchronized 10-meter platform. They also won gold at the European Championships.

On July 26, 2021, Tom Daley and Matty Lee won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the Men's synchronized 10-meter platform diving event. This was a dream come true for Tom. A few days later, he also won a bronze medal in the Men's individual 10-meter platform final.

Paris 2024 Olympics and Retirement

Tom Daley competed in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. He and his partner Noah Williams won the silver medal in the 10-meter platform synchronized event. Tom was also one of Team GB's flag-bearers at the opening ceremony. The day after the closing ceremony, Tom announced his official retirement from diving.

Personal Life and Interests

Tom Daley started his YouTube channel on August 23, 2010. He shares videos about his life, exercise, and food. As of July 2025, he has over 1.2 million subscribers.

Tom is married to American film screenwriter and producer Dustin Lance Black. They met in 2013 and got married in 2017. They have two sons, born in June 2018 and March 2023.

Tom enjoys knitting and crocheting. He started these hobbies during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics, he was often seen knitting in the stands. He even has a separate Instagram account for his knitting projects. In November 2024, an exhibition of his knitting work was announced in Japan. This exhibition is part of his campaign for the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

Advocacy and Media

Tom Daley is a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights. He has spoken out about the importance of treating everyone equally. In 2014, he was one of many public figures who signed a letter opposing Scottish independence.

In 2015, Tom became a patron of the LGBT+ charity Switchboard. He helped relaunch the charity. In October 2017, he hosted the Attitude Awards. In 2018, he was a guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. His favorite song was "How Long Will I Love You" by Ellie Goulding. His book choice was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

In December 2021, he delivered Channel 4's Alternative Christmas message. Since 2023, Tom has appeared in advertisements for British Gas. In July 2024, he joined Eurosport as a pundit for their Paris Olympics coverage. He also partnered with Malibu and the Royal Life Saving Society UK for a "Drink Don't Dive" campaign. This campaign raises awareness about water safety.

A documentary called Tom Daley: 1.6 seconds is set to be released in June 2025. It will explore his life and diving career.

Awards and Recognition

Tom Daley has received many honors and awards throughout his career.

• He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2022 for his services to diving, LGBTQ+ rights, and charity.
• He was named Youngster of the Year by BBC South West in 2005.
• He won the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award in 2007, 2009, and 2010. He is the only person to win this award three times.
• He was included in Time magazine's "100 Olympic Athletes To Watch" in 2008.
• He won LEN Magazine's "Athlete of the Year" award for men's divers in 2009.
• He received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of St Mark and St John in Plymouth in 2017.
• He was awarded the Honorary Freedom of the City of Plymouth in 2021.
• For the 2020 Summer Olympics, FINA named his gold medal win with Matty Lee as one of the top moments.
• A 2024 YouGov survey found that Tom Daley made a positive impression on young LGBTQ+ Britons.

See also

In Spanish: Tom Daley para niños