Paris 2024 Olympics: Tom Daley: “This Time, My Olympic Gold Medal is Having My Kids There to Watch”
The journey from Los Angeles to London for the pre-Olympic Games Paris 2024 training camp was a stark contrast to Tom Daley’s previous four Olympic experiences.
The British public has seen Daley grow from a 14-year-old debutant on the 10m platform at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to a celebrated diver. He earned an individual bronze at the 2012 London Olympics, a year after his father passed away from brain cancer. In Rio 2016, he secured a synchro bronze with Dan Goodfellow. Finally, Daley achieved his long-awaited gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the synchro event with Matty Lee, along with an individual bronze, bringing his total Olympic medal tally to four.
Now, at 30, Daley’s travel to the Olympics feels different. As a parent, he shares the relatable experience of flying with kids.
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“I was worried about how it would go,” Daley admitted with a smile, speaking to journalists on July 17, just 12 days before his fifth Olympic appearance. “Fortunately, it was a night flight, so Robbie, who travels often, was fine at six years old. Phoenix, the second child, was more challenging—wriggly and climbing everywhere. He was quiet, but I had to manage him the whole time.”
Daley, set to compete on July 29 in the men’s synchronized 10m platform event with Noah Williams, remains in high spirits. This year, he and Williams have achieved notable results, including a silver at the 2024 World Championships in Doha and a collection of gold, silver, and bronze medals from World Cup series events.
Despite training at an outdoor pool in Los Angeles, where he lives with his husband Dustin Lance Black and their two children, Daley frequently returns to London. He trains at the Aquatics Centre from the 2012 Olympics, where Team GB trains.
Given his storied career, we aimed to let Daley speak for himself. Here’s a Q&A from the interview, edited for brevity and clarity.
