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Tom Daley (diver)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Robert "Tom" Daley (born 21 May 1994) is an English
diver
who specialises in the 10 metre platform event
and was the 2009 FINA
World Champion
in the individual event at the age of 15. He started diving at the age of seven and is a member of Plymouth Diving Club. He has made an impact in national and international competitions from age 9. He represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
where he was Britain's youngest competitor, the youngest competitor of any nationality outside the sport of swimming, and the youngest to participate in a final. In the first post-Rome 2009 World Championships edition of the FINA World Diving Rankings for the ten-metre platform, Daley reached a new career best ranking of number one.
He won two gold medals for England
at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
, in the 10 metre synchro diving (with Max Brick
) and the 10 m Individual Platform competition.
, who won gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
at the age of 13, and British diver Leon Taylor
.
Daley was spotted by a coach, taking part in regular diving lessons, and was placed in a competitive squad in September 2002. His first competition was the National Novice Championships in April 2003 where he won a medal in the 8/9 year old boys' category. In September 2003, he took part in an invitational event in Southampton where he won the 1 m, 3 m and platform events, and first made his mark on the wider audience. Daley won his age group at the British Championships in the 1 m springboard, the 3 m springboard, and platform in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
In June 2004, the month after his tenth birthday, he won the platform competition in the National Junior (under 18) group, making him the youngest winner of that event. In 2005 Daley competed as a guest competitor in the Australian Elite Junior Nationals and placed first in platform and second in 3 m springboard in the 14-15 age group
event. He also competed in the 14-15 category at the 2005 Aachen Junior International, placing second in platform and third in 3 m springboard. He met the qualification standard for the 2006 Commonwealth Games
, but was not selected for the England team because of his age. In 2006, he was the under-18 British champion in platform and 3m springboard, and he placed second in the 10 m platform at the 2007 senior British Championships, which were held in December 2006.
. The usual minimum age is fifteen. Competing with a persistent thumb injury, Daley won the silver medal with synchro-partner Callum Johnstone in the 10-metre synchronised-diving final.
Later in 2007, he won the senior platform title at the Amateur Swimming Association
(ASA) National Championships, the national championship for English divers. In 2007 he also began to compete on FINA's
international diving circuit of Grand Prix and World Series events, twice finishing fourth in individual competition.
.
Two weeks later, Daley won his first medals on the FINA circuit, winning a bronze in the individual platform competition and a silver in synchro at the Madrid Grand Prix. Daley and Aldridge won bronze in synchro at the 2008 FINA Diving World Cup. Their score was a British record and Daley became the youngest ever male medallist in a world diving event. Daley came seventh in the individual competition. In March 2008, Daley became the youngest person to win a gold medal at the European Championships, held in Eindhoven. The previous youngest winner was the Scottish swimmer Ian Black
, who won a European gold in 1958 at the age of 17.
Daley qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics
in the individual 10 metre dive competition and, following the retirement of 2004 silver medallist Leon Taylor
, in the 10 metre platform synchro competition. It was initially claimed by the British media that in competing he would become the youngest-ever male British Olympian, until it was ascertained that Ken Lester, cox
to the rowing pair at the 1960 Olympic Games
, had been 13 years and 144 days old at the time. In the Olympic synchronised 10 metre platform competition, they placed 8th, while in the individual 10 metre platform competition he finished 7th.
A month after his appearance at the Olympics, Daley participated in the FINA Junior World Championships for the first time (being too young to enter before). He finished second in the category "B" platform competition (for 14- and 15-year-old boys) with 549.60 points, between China's Qiu Bo (551.85 points) and Wu Dongliang (474.00 points). He came second in the 3-metre springboard competition in the same category with 485.25 points, sandwiched between the two Chinese divers, Wu Dongliang (510.25 points) and Wang Peng (470.40 points).
Daley won the 2007 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Young Personality
award. He is considered a medal prospect for the 2012 Olympic Games
in London
, and is one of the British Olympians being tracked through the years leading up to London 2012 by the BBC television series Olympic Dreams
. By April 2008 he was on British Diving's list of funded divers.
.
During the Olympics Daley had a row with diving partner Blake Aldridge
when the latter phoned his mother between rounds. When Aldridge missed the British Championships because of the injury sustained in the nightclub incident, Daley's father said he'd like his son to have a different diving partner. In April 2009 he started to dive with Max Brick
, who is two years his senior, compared with the twelve year gap with Aldridge. The pair achieved a silver medal in the 10m synchronised event at Fort Lauderdale on 8 May 2009. Daley won the individual event in a new personal best of 554.90, scoring a perfect set of seven 10s for one of his dives.
In the 2009 FINA World Championships, held in Rome
, Daley unexpectedly won the individual platform title despite his lower tariff, with a score of 539.85 points, when his opponents had poor final dives - Qiu Bo finished on 532.20 points, Zhou Luxin on 530.55. In the 10 m platform synchronised event at the World Championships, Daley and Brick finished in 9th place following an inconsistent series of dives by the new pairing.
.
In the March 2010 FINA Diving World Series event in Qingdao individual 10 m competition, Daley showcased his two new dives and finished in 4th place, 520.35 points (his best score of the year).
In the first April 2010 FINA Diving World Series event held in Veracruz, Mexico, Daley failed to qualify for the final round of the individual 10 m competition, but in the second event held in the same venue three days later (to replace the Sheffield DWS event which was cancelled because of the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull
), Daley finished in 4th place, with a score of 519.70 points - his second highest score of the season (just 0.8 points away from bronze).
In August 2010 Daley attended the European Championships in Budapest
, Hungary
, intending to defend his individual 10m title. However, an injury to his triceps muscle in the 10m synchro competition forced his withdrawal from both the synchro and individual 10m competitions, and placed his participation in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games
in Singapore
in the following two weeks in doubt. It was later announced that Daley would dive in the 3m springboard but not in the 10m platform. Daley took part in the 3m springboard diving competition and finished in 9th place.
On 12 October 2010, Daley attended the 2010 Commonwealth Games
in New Delhi
, India
and he, together with his teammate Max Brick
, won the gold medal for Synchronised 10m Platform Competition. The following day he also won gold in the 10m Individual Platform competition.
In November 2010, Daley was announced as one of the nominated sportsmen for both the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2010 and BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2010.
He went on to win BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2010 for the third time in his career, and is the first person to receive this award three times.
silver medallist Peter Waterfield
in British Swimming's continuing efforts to find the best synchro pairing for the 2012 Olympics. At the 2011 National Cup, the British Championship was held in the new Southend Swimming and Diving Centre
on 28-30 January and Daley came 2nd in the 3m springboard competition behind Jack Laugher and, together with Waterfield, won the 10m platform synchronised competition. The following day, Waterfield beat Daley to the individual 10m platform title for the second successive year, by 494.25 points to 472.35, with Max Brick third with 399.80.
In the 2011 World Championships
, held in Shanghai
, China
, he was again paired with Waterfield in the 10m synchro event, however in the week before the competition Waterfield was struck by a flu-like illness for five days, and consequently they finished in 6th place. In the individual event, Daley finished in 5th place on 505.10 points, behind Qiu Bo (585.45), David Boudia
(544.25), Sascha Klein
(534.50), and Victor Minbaev (527.50).
On 27 July 2011, Daley took the first dive in London's newly-built Olympic Park Aquatics Centre marking the one year countdown until the games begin
. It was broadcast live on BBC One and when interviewed he said "Marking the one year to go, by diving in the Aquatics Centre is an incredible honour. Only a few years ago, this was a distant dream. The fact that I qualified at the weekend and am taking the first dive is a complete privilege. I can’t wait for next year and the honour of representing Team GB.”
†with Blake Aldridge
§with Max Brick
@with Peter Waterfield
, a children's helpline run by the NSPCC, and at that time it was revealed that he had been bullied eighteen months earlier. In April 2009 Daley alleged to Plymouth's main local newspaper The Herald that he had been regularly bullied at school since the Olympics, and his father told the BBC that he had temporarily withdrawn him from Eggbuckland because its response to the problem had been ineffective. Daley was praised in the media for speaking out about the problem. Daley was promptly offered a full scholarship to board at independent school Brighton College
, but his father turned this down due to the distance from home, and entered negotiations with local independent school Plymouth College
, which had offered him a "very significant scholarship". Plymouth College regularly offers swimming scholarships, and its ex-pupils include 2008 Olympic medallist Cassie Patten
. A few weeks later it was confirmed that Daley had enrolled at Plymouth College.
Daley took his GCSE
s in small batches to fit around his diving commitments. He persuaded supermodel
Kate Moss
to pose for a recreation of an original portrait by David Hockney
, as part of a GCSE photography project recreating great works of art, after meeting her on a photo shoot for the Italian version of Vogue
. Having obtained one A and eight A* grades in his GCSEs, Daley has begun his two-year A level
courses in Maths, Spanish and Photography, having declined to undertake the International Baccalaureate course because of the parallel pressures and time necessary for his preparation for the 2012 Olympics.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
diver
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
who specialises in the 10 metre platform event
Diving platforms
A diving platform or diving tower is a type of structure used for competitive diving.They consist of a vertical rigid "tower" with one or more horizontal platforms extending out over a deep pool of water. In platform diving, the diver jumps from a high stationary surface...
and was the 2009 FINA
Fina
Fina may refer to:*Fina, a character in the Skies of Arcadia video game*FINA, the International Swimming Federation*FINA, the North American Forum on Integration...
World Champion
Diving at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships
The diving competition at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships were held from July 17 to July 25. This diving competition complements the 2010 FINA Diving World Cup.- Medals table :-Men:-Women:...
in the individual event at the age of 15. He started diving at the age of seven and is a member of Plymouth Diving Club. He has made an impact in national and international competitions from age 9. He represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
where he was Britain's youngest competitor, the youngest competitor of any nationality outside the sport of swimming, and the youngest to participate in a final. In the first post-Rome 2009 World Championships edition of the FINA World Diving Rankings for the ten-metre platform, Daley reached a new career best ranking of number one.
He won two gold medals for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
, in the 10 metre synchro diving (with Max Brick
Max Brick
Max Brick is an English diver who represents Southampton Diving Academy and specialises in the 10 metre platform event.At the 2009 British Championships Brick won gold in the synchronised platform event in partnership with Jack Clewlow, and came 4th in the individual event...
) and the 10 m Individual Platform competition.
Early career
tom Daley's early diving heroes were Canadian diver Alexandre DespatieAlexandre Despatie
Alexandre Despatie is a Canadian diver from Laval, Quebec. He was the World champion at the 1 and 3 m springboards from 2005 to 2007 and is the first, and so far only, diver to have been World champion in the three categories . He is also a 36-time Canadian senior diving champion...
, who won gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
at the age of 13, and British diver Leon Taylor
Leon Taylor
Leon Taylor is a British former competitive diver.He was hyperactive as a child and his parents were advised to channel his energies and enthusiasm into sport. He was a swimmer and gymnast from the age of two and only took up competitive diving when he was eight...
.
Daley was spotted by a coach, taking part in regular diving lessons, and was placed in a competitive squad in September 2002. His first competition was the National Novice Championships in April 2003 where he won a medal in the 8/9 year old boys' category. In September 2003, he took part in an invitational event in Southampton where he won the 1 m, 3 m and platform events, and first made his mark on the wider audience. Daley won his age group at the British Championships in the 1 m springboard, the 3 m springboard, and platform in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
In June 2004, the month after his tenth birthday, he won the platform competition in the National Junior (under 18) group, making him the youngest winner of that event. In 2005 Daley competed as a guest competitor in the Australian Elite Junior Nationals and placed first in platform and second in 3 m springboard in the 14-15 age group
Demographic profile
A demographic or demographic profile is a term used in marketing and broadcasting, to describe a demographic grouping or a market segment...
event. He also competed in the 14-15 category at the 2005 Aachen Junior International, placing second in platform and third in 3 m springboard. He met the qualification standard for the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
, but was not selected for the England team because of his age. In 2006, he was the under-18 British champion in platform and 3m springboard, and he placed second in the 10 m platform at the 2007 senior British Championships, which were held in December 2006.
2007
In January 2007, at the age of twelve, Daley was given a special dispensation to compete at the 2007 Australian Youth Olympic Festival2007 Australian Youth Olympic Festival
The 2007 Australian Youth Olympic Festival was the 2007 edition of the Australian Youth Olympic Festival. It was held from 17-21 January 2007.-Participant nations:Of the 23 countries invited, 20 of them participated in the games...
. The usual minimum age is fifteen. Competing with a persistent thumb injury, Daley won the silver medal with synchro-partner Callum Johnstone in the 10-metre synchronised-diving final.
Later in 2007, he won the senior platform title at the Amateur Swimming Association
British Swimming (organisation)
British Swimming is the national governing body of swimming, water polo, synchronised swimming, diving and open water in Great Britain. British Swimming is a federation of the national governing bodies of England , Scotland , and Wales...
(ASA) National Championships, the national championship for English divers. In 2007 he also began to compete on FINA's
International Swimming Federation
Fédération Internationale de Natation is the International Federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee for administering international competition in the aquatic sports...
international diving circuit of Grand Prix and World Series events, twice finishing fourth in individual competition.
2008
In January 2008 Tom won the 10 m platform event at the British Championships to become the youngest winner of the senior British 10 m title. He also won the 10 m platform synchro title with new partner Blake AldridgeBlake Aldridge
Blake Aldridge is a British synchronised diver, who dives for The Crystal Palace Diving Club. During the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics he took part in the Men's 10m Synchronised event. Aldridge and his 14-year-old diving partner, Tom Daley, finished in eighth position in the final in an event...
.
Two weeks later, Daley won his first medals on the FINA circuit, winning a bronze in the individual platform competition and a silver in synchro at the Madrid Grand Prix. Daley and Aldridge won bronze in synchro at the 2008 FINA Diving World Cup. Their score was a British record and Daley became the youngest ever male medallist in a world diving event. Daley came seventh in the individual competition. In March 2008, Daley became the youngest person to win a gold medal at the European Championships, held in Eindhoven. The previous youngest winner was the Scottish swimmer Ian Black
Ian Black (swimmer)
Ian MacIntosh Black is a Scottish former swimmer. He was BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1958 at the age of only seventeen and is still to this date the youngest winner of the award...
, who won a European gold in 1958 at the age of 17.
Daley qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in the individual 10 metre dive competition and, following the retirement of 2004 silver medallist Leon Taylor
Leon Taylor
Leon Taylor is a British former competitive diver.He was hyperactive as a child and his parents were advised to channel his energies and enthusiasm into sport. He was a swimmer and gymnast from the age of two and only took up competitive diving when he was eight...
, in the 10 metre platform synchro competition. It was initially claimed by the British media that in competing he would become the youngest-ever male British Olympian, until it was ascertained that Ken Lester, cox
Coxswain (rowing)
In a crew, the coxswain is the member who sits in the stern facing the bow, steers the boat, and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers.- Role :The role of a coxswain within a crew is to:...
to the rowing pair at the 1960 Olympic Games
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
, had been 13 years and 144 days old at the time. In the Olympic synchronised 10 metre platform competition, they placed 8th, while in the individual 10 metre platform competition he finished 7th.
A month after his appearance at the Olympics, Daley participated in the FINA Junior World Championships for the first time (being too young to enter before). He finished second in the category "B" platform competition (for 14- and 15-year-old boys) with 549.60 points, between China's Qiu Bo (551.85 points) and Wu Dongliang (474.00 points). He came second in the 3-metre springboard competition in the same category with 485.25 points, sandwiched between the two Chinese divers, Wu Dongliang (510.25 points) and Wang Peng (470.40 points).
Daley won the 2007 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Young Personality
BBC Sports Personality of the Year Young Personality
The BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award is presented at the annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year award ceremony. It is awarded to the sportsperson aged 16 or under as of 1 January of that year, who has made the most outstanding contribution to sport in that year. Nominees are...
award. He is considered a medal prospect for the 2012 Olympic Games
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and is one of the British Olympians being tracked through the years leading up to London 2012 by the BBC television series Olympic Dreams
Olympic Dreams
Olympic Dreams is the title of a British television series, a co-production between the BBC and the Open University, with the intent of tracking a group of young British athletes bidding for Olympic success at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London....
. By April 2008 he was on British Diving's list of funded divers.
2009
In February 2009, Daley retained his individual British 10 m championship, setting a competition personal best score of 517.55 points, 133.45 points ahead of the second-placed diver. He was unable to defend his 10 m synchronised title, as his dive partner Blake Aldridge had been injured in a brawl at a nightclub several days before the championships and was unable to dive. In March 2009 he improved his personal best to 540.70 in coming third at a Diving World Series event in China, and the following month he improved it to 540.85 while finishing second at the World Series event in SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
.
During the Olympics Daley had a row with diving partner Blake Aldridge
Blake Aldridge
Blake Aldridge is a British synchronised diver, who dives for The Crystal Palace Diving Club. During the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics he took part in the Men's 10m Synchronised event. Aldridge and his 14-year-old diving partner, Tom Daley, finished in eighth position in the final in an event...
when the latter phoned his mother between rounds. When Aldridge missed the British Championships because of the injury sustained in the nightclub incident, Daley's father said he'd like his son to have a different diving partner. In April 2009 he started to dive with Max Brick
Max Brick
Max Brick is an English diver who represents Southampton Diving Academy and specialises in the 10 metre platform event.At the 2009 British Championships Brick won gold in the synchronised platform event in partnership with Jack Clewlow, and came 4th in the individual event...
, who is two years his senior, compared with the twelve year gap with Aldridge. The pair achieved a silver medal in the 10m synchronised event at Fort Lauderdale on 8 May 2009. Daley won the individual event in a new personal best of 554.90, scoring a perfect set of seven 10s for one of his dives.
In the 2009 FINA World Championships, held in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Daley unexpectedly won the individual platform title despite his lower tariff, with a score of 539.85 points, when his opponents had poor final dives - Qiu Bo finished on 532.20 points, Zhou Luxin on 530.55. In the 10 m platform synchronised event at the World Championships, Daley and Brick finished in 9th place following an inconsistent series of dives by the new pairing.
2010
In the February 2010 British Championships individual 10 m competition, Daley unveiled his 5255B dive (back two-and-a-half somersault, two-and-a-half twists) in competition for the first time, giving him a 3.6 tariff dive (reduced from 3.8 in FINAs' September 2009 DD tables). In this competition Daley finished in 2nd place, 40.05 points behind Peter WaterfieldPeter Waterfield
Peter Graham Waterfield is a British diver. His specialism is the 10 metre platform event, both as solo competitor and in the synchronised event with his former partner Leon Taylor...
.
In the March 2010 FINA Diving World Series event in Qingdao individual 10 m competition, Daley showcased his two new dives and finished in 4th place, 520.35 points (his best score of the year).
In the first April 2010 FINA Diving World Series event held in Veracruz, Mexico, Daley failed to qualify for the final round of the individual 10 m competition, but in the second event held in the same venue three days later (to replace the Sheffield DWS event which was cancelled because of the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull
Air travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption
In response to concerns that volcanic ash ejected during the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland would damage aircraft engines, the controlled airspace of many European countries was closed to instrument flight rules traffic, resulting in the largest air-traffic shut-down since World War II...
), Daley finished in 4th place, with a score of 519.70 points - his second highest score of the season (just 0.8 points away from bronze).
In August 2010 Daley attended the European Championships in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, intending to defend his individual 10m title. However, an injury to his triceps muscle in the 10m synchro competition forced his withdrawal from both the synchro and individual 10m competitions, and placed his participation in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games
2010 Summer Youth Olympics
The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, officially known as the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games , were an international multi-sport event for youths that took place in the city-state of Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010, in the XXIX Olympiad. They were the inaugural Summer Youth Olympics, a major...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in the following two weeks in doubt. It was later announced that Daley would dive in the 3m springboard but not in the 10m platform. Daley took part in the 3m springboard diving competition and finished in 9th place.
On 12 October 2010, Daley attended the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and he, together with his teammate Max Brick
Max Brick
Max Brick is an English diver who represents Southampton Diving Academy and specialises in the 10 metre platform event.At the 2009 British Championships Brick won gold in the synchronised platform event in partnership with Jack Clewlow, and came 4th in the individual event...
, won the gold medal for Synchronised 10m Platform Competition. The following day he also won gold in the 10m Individual Platform competition.
In November 2010, Daley was announced as one of the nominated sportsmen for both the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2010 and BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2010.
He went on to win BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2010 for the third time in his career, and is the first person to receive this award three times.
2011
For the 2011 season, Daley was paired in the synchronised competitions with 2004 Athens Olympic2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
silver medallist Peter Waterfield
Peter Waterfield
Peter Graham Waterfield is a British diver. His specialism is the 10 metre platform event, both as solo competitor and in the synchronised event with his former partner Leon Taylor...
in British Swimming's continuing efforts to find the best synchro pairing for the 2012 Olympics. At the 2011 National Cup, the British Championship was held in the new Southend Swimming and Diving Centre
Southend Leisure & Tennis Centre
Southend Leisure & Tennis Centre was built in March 1996, with the centre expanding in November 2010 adding Southend Swimming and Diving Centre to the site, with a brand new reception area linking the two centres together, with state-of-the-art, self-swiping turnstiles...
on 28-30 January and Daley came 2nd in the 3m springboard competition behind Jack Laugher and, together with Waterfield, won the 10m platform synchronised competition. The following day, Waterfield beat Daley to the individual 10m platform title for the second successive year, by 494.25 points to 472.35, with Max Brick third with 399.80.
In the 2011 World Championships
Diving at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships
The diving portion of the 2011 World Aquatics Championships was held July 16–24 at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China...
, held in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, he was again paired with Waterfield in the 10m synchro event, however in the week before the competition Waterfield was struck by a flu-like illness for five days, and consequently they finished in 6th place. In the individual event, Daley finished in 5th place on 505.10 points, behind Qiu Bo (585.45), David Boudia
David Boudia
David Alasdair Boudia is an American diver.He now lives in Noblesville, Indiana. He started diving in 2000, and has been a member of the U.S National Diving Team since 2005. He has been named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic team in the 10-meter platform and synchronized 10-meter platform events. His...
(544.25), Sascha Klein
Sascha Klein
Sascha Klein is a German diver. Competing in the 2008 Summer Olympics, he won a silver medal in the men's synchronized 10 metre platform with teammate Patrick Hausding.-External links:*...
(534.50), and Victor Minbaev (527.50).
On 27 July 2011, Daley took the first dive in London's newly-built Olympic Park Aquatics Centre marking the one year countdown until the games begin
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
. It was broadcast live on BBC One and when interviewed he said "Marking the one year to go, by diving in the Aquatics Centre is an incredible honour. Only a few years ago, this was a distant dream. The fact that I qualified at the weekend and am taking the first dive is a complete privilege. I can’t wait for next year and the honour of representing Team GB.”
Competitive history
- British champion in all events (1 m, 3 m, platform) in 2004, 2005 and 2006 in the relevant age group.
Competition 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Beijing 2008 Olympics 2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, 10 m7th Diving at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 10 metre platformMen's 10 metre platform competition at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics was held from August 22 to August 23, at the Beijing National Aquatics Center...
Beijing 2008 Olympics, 10 m (synchro) 8th† Diving at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's synchronized 10 metre platformMen's synchronized 10 metre platform competition at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics was held on August 11 at the Beijing National Aquatics Center....
Summer Youth Olympics, 3m 9th FINA World Championships, 10 m 1st Diving at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 10 m platform-Results:Green denotes finalists-External links:***...
5th Diving at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 10 m platformThe men's 10 m platform competition of the diving events at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships was held on July 23 with the preliminary round and the semifinals and the final on 24 July.-Medalists:-Results:...FINA World Championships, 10 m (synchro) 9th§ Diving at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 10 m platform-Results:Green denotes finalists-External links:***...
6th@ Diving at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 10 m platformThe men's 10 m platform competition of the diving events at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships was held on July 23 with the preliminary round and the semifinals and the final on 24 July.-Medalists:-Results:...FINA Junior Diving World Championships, 3 m ("B") 2nd FINA Junior Diving World Championships, Boys 10 m Platform ("B") 2nd European Championships, 10 m 1st European Championships, 10 m (synchro) 6th† Commonwealth Games, 10 m 1st Commonwealth Games, 10 m (synchro) 1st§ British Championships, 10 m 3rd 2nd 1st 1st 2nd 2nd British Championships, 10 m (synchro) 1st† 1st@ British Championships, 10 m (Junior) 1st 1st 1st British Championships, 3 m 2nd British Championships, 3 m (Junior) 4th British Championships, 1 m 17th FINA Diving World Series, Doha, Qatar, 10 m 6th FINA Diving World Series, Changzhou, China, 10 m 3rd FINA Diving World Series, Nanjing, China, 10 m 4th FINA Diving World Series, Qingdao, China, 10 m 4th FINA Diving World Series, Beijing, China, 10 m (synchro) 3rd@ FINA Diving World Series, Moscow, Russia, 10 m 5th FINA Diving World Series, Tijuana, Mexico, 10 m 5th FINA Diving World Series, Tijuana, Mexico, 10 m (synchro) 5th† FINA Diving World Series, Veracruz, Mexico, 10 m 4th FINA Diving World Series, Guanajuato, Mexico, 10 m 2nd FINA Diving World Series, Guanajuato, Mexico, 10 m (synchro) 4th @ FINA Diving World Series, Sheffield, 10 m 4th 2nd 2nd 4th FINA Diving World Series, Sheffield, 10 m (synchro) 5th† 1st† 5th§ 1st@ FINA Diving Grand Prix, Fort Lauderdale, 10 m 1st FINA Diving Grand Prix, Fort Lauderdale, 10 m (synchro) 2nd§ FINA Diving Grand Prix, Madrid, 10 m 4th FINA Diving Grand Prix, Canada, 10 m 10th ASA National Championships, 10 m 1st ASA National Championships, 10 m (synchro) 1st ASA National Championships, 10 m (Junior) 2nd 1st ASA National Championships, 3 m (Junior) 1st 1st 1st ASA National Championships, 3 m 2nd 5th ASA Elite Junior National Championships, 1 m 1st ASA Elite Junior National Championships, 3 m 1st ASA Elite Junior National Championships, 10 m 1st CAMO Invitational Meet, 10 m 6th CAMO Invitational Meet, 10 m (synchro) 1st† Australian Junior Elite Diving Championships, 10 m 1st Australian Junior Elite Diving Championships, 3 m 2nd Aachen Junior International, 10 m 2nd Aachen Junior International, 3 m 3rd
†with Blake Aldridge
Blake Aldridge
Blake Aldridge is a British synchronised diver, who dives for The Crystal Palace Diving Club. During the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics he took part in the Men's 10m Synchronised event. Aldridge and his 14-year-old diving partner, Tom Daley, finished in eighth position in the final in an event...
§with Max Brick
Max Brick
Max Brick is an English diver who represents Southampton Diving Academy and specialises in the 10 metre platform event.At the 2009 British Championships Brick won gold in the synchronised platform event in partnership with Jack Clewlow, and came 4th in the individual event...
@with Peter Waterfield
Peter Waterfield
Peter Graham Waterfield is a British diver. His specialism is the 10 metre platform event, both as solo competitor and in the synchronised event with his former partner Leon Taylor...
Personal life
Daley lives in Plymouth with his mother, Debbie, and two brothers, William and Ben. His father, Robert Daley, died of a brain tumour in May 2011 after a long battle with cancer. His father had been a continuous support to Tom during his career and was determined to watch his son perform in the London 2012 Olympics. He had previously stated that "London 2012 is a massive motivation for me. And I am going to be there. Tom is the oil in my lamp and he's going to keep me burning."Education
From age 11 to 14 Daley attended crookhorn College of technology. At 13 he became a celebrity supporter of ChildLineChildLine
ChildLine is a free 24 hour counselling service for children and young people up to 18 in the UK provided by the NSPCC. ChildLine deals with any issue which causes distress or concern, common issues dealt with include child abuse, bullying, parental separation or divorce, pregnancy and substance...
, a children's helpline run by the NSPCC, and at that time it was revealed that he had been bullied eighteen months earlier. In April 2009 Daley alleged to Plymouth's main local newspaper The Herald that he had been regularly bullied at school since the Olympics, and his father told the BBC that he had temporarily withdrawn him from Eggbuckland because its response to the problem had been ineffective. Daley was praised in the media for speaking out about the problem. Daley was promptly offered a full scholarship to board at independent school Brighton College
Brighton College
Brighton College is an institution divided between a Senior School known simply as Brighton College, the Prep School and the Pre-Prep School. All of these schools are co-educational independent schools in Brighton, England, sited immediately next to each another. The Senior School caters for...
, but his father turned this down due to the distance from home, and entered negotiations with local independent school Plymouth College
Plymouth College
Plymouth College is a co-educational independent school in Plymouth, Devon, England, for day and boarding pupils from the ages of 11 to 18...
, which had offered him a "very significant scholarship". Plymouth College regularly offers swimming scholarships, and its ex-pupils include 2008 Olympic medallist Cassie Patten
Cassie Patten
Cassandra Lily Patten is a British freestyle swimmer.-Early life:Cassie's first swimming club was Bodmin and District in Cornwall where she trained under the coaches Phil Goldman and Joe Dixon, she then attended Plymouth College as a swimming scholar from the age of 11 to 18 where she was the...
. A few weeks later it was confirmed that Daley had enrolled at Plymouth College.
Daley took his GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
s in small batches to fit around his diving commitments. He persuaded supermodel
Supermodel
The term supermodel refers to a highly-paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became prominent in the popular culture of the 1980s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and labels...
Kate Moss
Kate Moss
Kate Moss is an English model. Moss is known for her waifish figure and popularising the heroin chic look in the 1990s. She is also known for her controversial private life, high profile relationships, party lifestyle, and drug use. Moss changed the look of modelling and started a global debate on...
to pose for a recreation of an original portrait by David Hockney
David Hockney
David Hockney, CH, RA, is an English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer and photographer, who is based in Bridlington, Yorkshire and Kensington, London....
, as part of a GCSE photography project recreating great works of art, after meeting her on a photo shoot for the Italian version of Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
. Having obtained one A and eight A* grades in his GCSEs, Daley has begun his two-year A level
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
courses in Maths, Spanish and Photography, having declined to undertake the International Baccalaureate course because of the parallel pressures and time necessary for his preparation for the 2012 Olympics.
Honours and awards
- Named Youngster of the Year by BBC South WestBBC South WestBBC South West is the BBC English Region serving Devon, Cornwall and the Channel Islands.-Television:BBC South Wests television service consists of the flagship regional news service Spotlight, the opt-out service BBC Channel Islands, the topical magazine programme Inside Out and a 20-minute...
in 2005. - Named BBC South West Sports Personality of the Year, and Young Sports Personality of the Year, 2009.
- Short-listed to the final ten for the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Young Sports Personality of the YearBBC Sports Personality of the Year Young PersonalityThe BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award is presented at the annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year award ceremony. It is awarded to the sportsperson aged 16 or under as of 1 January of that year, who has made the most outstanding contribution to sport in that year. Nominees are...
award in 2006. - Short-listed to the final three for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award in 2008.
- Named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2007, 2009 and 2010 (only person ever to win this award more than once).
- Short-listed to the final ten for the BBC Sports Personality of the YearBBC Sports Personality of the YearThe BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of one titular award. Several new awards have been introduced, and , eight awards are presented. The oldest of these are the Team of the Year and...
award in 2009 and 2010. - Ranked #63 in Time'sTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
2008 edition of 100 Olympic Athletes To Watch - Won LEN Magazine'sLigue Européenne de NatationLigue Européenne de Natation or LEN is the European governing body for aquatic sports affiliated to FINA—it is the Continental Association for Europe. It was founded in 1927 in Bologna, Italy....
"Athlete of the Year" award for mens' divers, 2009, on behalf of the European Swimming Federation. The award is voted for by representatives of all European Aquatic Federations and the media. - Nominated for the 2010 Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year.
External links
- Official Website - Tom Daley TV
- Plymouth Diving Club profile
- British Swimming profile
- "Diver Daley Wins BBC Young Sports Personality 2007" - British Olympic AssociationBritish Olympic AssociationThe British Olympic Association is the national Olympic committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1905 in the House of Commons, and at that time consisted of seven national governing body members from the following sports: fencing, life-saving, cycling, skating, rowing,...
- "Tom Daley", number 63 on TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
’s list of "100 Olympic Athletes To Watch" - Students interview Tom Daley
News articles
- "Thomas tipped for the top"
- "Stars for 2012"
- "Olympic Dreams - Tom Daley"
- "Tom Daley's sights set on Beijing Olympics"
- "High-flyer scaling platform to leap into record books"
- "Tom Daley, 13, in at the Olympic deep end"
- Interview and Biography in the Daily Telegraph
- "Tom Daley's father Rob loses battle with cancer"