Tom Daley, a five-time Olympic medallist, has officially retired from diving at age 30 on Monday, August 12.
Daley confirmed his decision after winning a silver medal with Noah Williams in the men's synchronised 10m platform event in Paris, completing his collection of Olympic medals with one of every colour.
Daley, who began his Olympic journey at 14 during the 2008 Beijing Games, has had a distinguished career.
He won bronze in the 10m platform in both London 2012 and Tokyo 2021, as well as in the men's synchronised 10m platform in Rio 2016. His crowning achievement came with a gold medal in the individual 10m platform in Tokyo.
In a heartfelt statement to the BBC as Team GB returned to London, Daley reflected on his career, "I’m really happy with how everything’s gone. It’s always hard to say goodbye to your sport. Lots of things to process, but I think it’s the right time. This year felt like a bonus, and I got to compete in front of my family. I got to be a flagbearer. So yeah, bucket list ticked off on every occasion."
He went on to share, "I want to be with my family. I'm really excited to be able to spend some time with them and just be able to feel a bit normal for a couple of days."
Moreover, Daley had initially planned to retire after Tokyo but chose to return for Paris as his son Robbie expressed a desire to see him compete at the Olympics.
Daley shared that he had decided before the Paris Games that it would be his last.
"It was emotional at the end, up there on the platform, knowing it was going to be my last competitive dive, 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," he told Vogue.
