Tom Daley Takes Out The Silver To Win His Fifth Olympic Medal
Image: Tom Daley and diving partner Noah Williams. Image: tomdaley/Instagram.
Overnight, LGBTQI+ activist and UK diver Tom Daley has won his fifth Olympic medal, taking out the silver in synchronised diving at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Daley and his partner Noah Williams scored a total of 463.44 points for their performance in the synchronised diving 10m platform competition.
View this post on Instagram
The duo lost out on the gold medal to China‘s Lian Junjie and Yang Hao (490.35 points), but beat Canada‘s Rylan Wiens and Nathan Zsombor-Murray who took out the bronze medal (422.13 points).
Lian and Yang have won at the last three world championships.
View this post on Instagram
Daley’s win a tribute to his six-year-old son
Daley had taken a break from the sport, and says he returned to it because his six-year-old son Rob told him he wanted to see him dive again.
Rob was in the crowd was in the crowd watching with Daley’s husband Lance Dustin Black, and his young brother, Phoenix Rose.
In a video with Adidas UK previous to the games, Daley said,
“I feel like this time I am doing it for a greater purpose. I want my kids to see me work hard for my dream.”
View this post on Instagram
“Doing it in front of my son – who asked me to come back– is so special,” Daley told press after he and Williams won the silver.
“Before the competition had started it felt like we had won. Just being able to be there with my family and my kids is so special,” he said.
“They were stood right above the mixed zone when we were doing our interviews. Phoenix did throw his juice cup at me. I’ll have to give it back to him at some point. It nearly took out one of the BBC reporters,” he laughed.
“I now have one of every colour. I’ve completed the set.”
View this post on Instagram
Tom Daley’s fifth gold medal
This is the fifth Olympic medal for Tom Daley. His illustrious career has seen him win the bronze in London in 2012, the bronze in Rio in 2016, and a gold and a bronze in Tokyo in 2020.
However, this is his partner Noah Williams’ first-ever Olympic medal.
Daley’s long-time coach Jane Figueiredo said she was, “Excited, fearless, just over the moon for both of them.
“There’s been a lot going on behind the scenes for both of them, to come and achieve a silver medal is absolutely brilliant. China was just too good.
“We hung in there, but it was brilliant.”
Daley has been giving tours and making entertaining social media posts throughout the Paris 2024 Olympics so far – most notably, his post “testing out” the cardboard and so-called “anti-sex” beds in the Athlete’s Village.
A piece of SILVERware that will never go out of style. Well done Mr. T. Daley & Mr. N. Williams. The chances a new set of cosy knitted medal pouches, have been precisely stitched into life is very likely.