Tom Daley returned to diving competition after a multi-year hiatus and earned gold.
Competing with his new synchro diving partner, Noah Williams, the duo earned a gold medal at the British National Diving Cup in the 10-meter platform synchro event.
Not only did Daley return to competition, but it’s the first time in even longer that he competed in front of a crowd, as the Tokyo Summer Olympics and other events were mostly fan-free due to the reaction of some policy-makers to COVID-19 that banned fans from some sporting events.
“It was weird to dive in front of a crowd with people – last time I competed, there was nobody there in Tokyo,” Daley told British Swimming. “It is very nice to be back and get that adrenaline going again.”
Daley’s gold-medal partner in Tokyo was Matty Lee, who did not compete in this British National Diving Cup.
Daley had been rumored to be retired from the sport when he stepped away for a couple years. However, he announced his competitive return after visiting the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee headquarters in Colorado with his son. He returned to competition, he said, so his son could witness his father compete at the international level.
Daley’s road to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics is not guaranteed, though this gold is certainly a step in the right direction. If he qualifies, it will be his fifth Olympic Games. Daley has earned one Olympic gold and three bronze medals, in addition to numerous World Championship and European Championship medals.
