When is Tom Daley diving again at Tokyo Olympics 2020? Who is the Team GB Olympic diver and how old is he?
As the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 continue, one of the international championship’s most popular aquatic sports, diving, sprung into life today (August 6) at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre as the preliminary rounds of the men’s 10 metre platform solo dive got underway.
Monday July 26 saw the much-awaited final of the men’s 10 metre platform synchronised diving event get underway, with Team GB’s Tom Daley and Matty Lee scooping gold in the event.
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Hide AdThe pair shot to success with their synchronised routine and saw Daley fulfil his long-term goal of getting an Olympic gold medal.
Here’s what you need to know about him.
Who is Tom Daley and how old is he?
Tom Daley was born in Plymouth on May 21 1994, meaning that the Team GB diver turned 27 this year.
He began diving at a very young age, he entered his first Olympic Games to represent the UK in 2008 as the country’s second ever youngest Olympian at the age of 14.
At this age in 2008 he had also picked up a gold medal at the European Championships, becoming the youngest person to ever win the top accolade at the European tournament.
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Hide AdHe has continued to lead a successful career in diving since, collecting numerous medals and appearing on British TV in ITV show Splash! as well as vlogging on YouTube throughout the early 2010s.
Daley is married to American film director Dustin Lance Black and together they have one son.
Following his Olympic triumph with Matty Lee on Monday, Daley said: “I feel incredibly proud to say I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion.
"I feel very empowered by that because when I was younger I felt like I was never going to be anything or achieve anything because of who I was, and to be an Olympic champion now just shows that you can achieve anything.”
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Hide AdHow many medals has Tom Daley won?
Daley has won a combined total of 11 medals in his career so far, with his most recent Olympic gold medal now completing a set of gold medals won for diving at major events such as the Commonwealth Games 2018, European Championships 2016 and FINA Diving World Cup 2021.
Many of Daley’s medals have been won in the synchronised category with partners such as Daniel Goodfellow, Matty Lee and Rebecca Gallantree.
In his career to date, Daley has won two bronze Olympic medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016, and a slew of bronze, silver and gold medals at European, World and Commonwealth Championships since 2008.
When is Tom Daley diving today?
Following Daley and Lee’s storming success on Monday in taking gold in the men’s 10m platform synchronised diving, Daley be diving again in the men’s solo 10 metre platform diving event at Tokyo 2020.
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Hide AdThe preliminary rounds for semi final qualification began at 7am on Friday August 6, with Daley keen to become a double Olympic champion after his success with Lee.
With the preliminaries now underway, 29 divers from around the world will compete for 18 slots in the semi final.
As of 7.30am, Daley was in 23rd position on the scoreboard after the first round of solo diving event.
The semi final and final of the event will take place on Saturday August 7 from 7am as the Tokyo Olympics draw to a close.
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Hide AdSpeaking after his gold medal win on July 26, Daley said: "It's kind of unbelievable.
"I've dreamt, as has Matty, since I started diving 20 years ago for this moment of becoming an Olympic champion."
"To take it to my fourth Olympic Games when I think a lot of people would have not considered it to be my peak Olympic Games, I thought I was going to win an Olympic gold medal in Rio and that turned out the complete opposite by a long shot.
He continued: "It was my husband who said to me my story wasn't finished and that my son or child, we didn't know at the time, needed to be there to watch me win an Olympic gold medal.
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Hide Ad"The fact that I can say my son watched me become Olympic champion, albeit on TV and they couldn't be here, is such a great feeling.
"To be able to share that moment with someone has been a wild ride, but I'm very, very happy right now."
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