By: Summer Lin
British diver Tom Daley has announced that he has officially retired after the 2024 Olympics. The swimmer had basically retired but hadn’t announced it at the Tokyo 2021 games, but his son Robbie persuaded him to participate in this year’s event. Tom Daley won his first gold in Tokyo and won a silver at this year’s games.
The Olympic Medalist officially announced his retirement, saying that he felt that he had to retire sometime, being thirty.
“It feels very, very surreal,” Daley said. [1]
However, Daley knew that his retirement would be coming anytime.
“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.”
Daley’s gold came in the 10m synchronized event in Tokyo in 2021 alongside Matty Lee. [2]
Along with his diving skills, Daley’s pool-side knitting hobbies during the last two Games have made him famous.[3]
According to Paris 2024, In the early 19th century, gymnasts in Germany and Sweden popularized diving by performing acrobatics while jumping into the water. Towards the end of the 19th century, Swedish divers traveled to Great Britain to perform diving demonstrations at the National Graceful Diving Competition (the first world championship event in high diving), which led to the establishment of the Amateur Diving Association in 1901. Diving made its Olympic debut at the 1904 games in St. Louis. The first women’s event appeared at the 1912 games in Stockholm, while the synchronized competition was added to the program at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.[4]
Tom Daley’s retirement was meant to come sometime, and even though hiscareer is over, he has many medals to show for his hard work.
[1] Tom Daley retires from diving
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/c39k1vreyxvo
[2] Five-time Olympic medalist Tom Daley announces retirement from diving
https://apnews.com/article/tom-daley-retirement-diving-olympics-46f836b94f349c33879a880dd7d9909e
[3] Tom Daley announces retirement from diving
https://olympics.com/en/news/tom-daley-announces-retirement-from-diving
[4] Diving