Tom Daley
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Robert Daley |
| Nationality |  United Kingdom |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Swimming |
Medal record | |
Thomas Robert "Tom" Daley (born 21 May 1994 in Plymouth, England[1]) is an English diver, who specialises in the 10 metre platform event. 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 competition at an early age. His early diving heroes were Canadian diver Alexandre Despatie, who won gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games at the age of 13,[1] and British diver Leon Taylor.
In May 2008, he was ranked 6th in the FINA Diving World Rankings men's 10-metre platform category, and by the following July he was ranked equal 17th, due to not participating in recent FINA Grand Prix meetings.[2] He has qualified for the British team to the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 10m platform and in the 10m platform synchro competition.
Biography
Early career
Daley won his age-group at the British Championships in the 1m springboard, the 3m springboard, and platform in 2004, 2006, and 2006.
In June 2004, at age ten, he won the platform competition in the National Junior (under 18) group, making him the youngest winner of that event.
In 2005 he competed as a guest competitor in the Australian Elite Junior Nationals, and placed first in platform and second in 3m 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 3m springboard. In 2006 he was the under-18 British champion in platform and springboard, and he placed second in the 10m platform at the 2007 senior British Championships, which were held in December 2006.
International success
In January 2007, at the age of twelve, Daley was given a special dispensation to compete at the 2007 Australian Youth Olympic Festival. 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, a national-level championship for English divers. That year he began to compete on FINA's international diving circuit of Grand Prix and World Series events, twice finishing fourth in individual competition.
In January 2008 he won the 10m platform event at the British Championships to become the youngest winner of the senior British 10m title.[3] He also won the 10m platform synchro title with new partner Blake Aldridge.
Two weeks later he 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.[4] 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.[5] Daley came seventh in the individual competition. In March 2008, Daley became the youngest person to win a gold medal at the 2008 European Swimming Championships, held in Eindhoven.[6] The previous youngest winner was the Scottish swimmer Ian Black, who won a European gold in 1958 at the age of 17.
Daley has 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,[7] but it was later realised that Ken Lester, cox to the rowing pair at the 1960 Olympic Games, was only 13 years and 144 days old at the time.[8]
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 receives financial support from the British government's Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme. [9]
He is one of the British Olympic hopefuls being tracked through the years leading up to London 2012 by the BBC television series Olympic Dreams.
Competitive history
- British champion in all events (1m, 3m, platform) in 2004, 2005 and 2006 in the relevant age group.
| Competition | 2005 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|
| European LC Championships, 10m | 1st | ||
| British Championships, 10m | 1st | ||
| British Championships, 10m (synchro) | 1st† | ||
| FINA Diving World Series, Sheffield, 10m | 2nd | ||
| FINA Diving World Series, Sheffield, 10m (synchro) | 1st† | ||
| British Championships, 10m (Junior) | 1st | ||
| ASA National Championships, 10m | 1st | ||
| ASA National Championships, 10m (synchro) | 1st | ||
| ASA National Championships, 10m (Junior) | 1st | ||
| ASA National Championships, 3m (Junior) | 1st | ||
| Australian Junior Elite Diving Championships | 1st |
†with Blake Aldridge
Honours and awards
- Named Youngster of the Year by BBC South West in 2005.[10]
- Short-listed to the final ten for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award in 2006.
- Named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2007.
References
- ^ a b "Thomas Daley Biography". Olympics.org.uk. 2006. Retrieved 2007-02-12.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Fina Diving World Ranking
- ^ "Daley, 13, close to clinching Olympic place", sport.independent.co.uk, 7 January 2008
- ^ "Tom Daley wins two diving medals in Madrid", telegraph.co.uk, 20 January 2008.
- ^ "Thomas Daley Delivers with Bronze at the World Cup", plymouthdiving.com, 22 February 2008.
- ^ "Youngster Daley claims Euro gold" - BBC.co.uk
- ^ "13 year-old Daley heads to Bejing", The Guardian, 24 February 2008.
- ^ "Daley is not the youngest Olympian", Daily Mail, 25 February 2008.
- ^ "Growing for Gold", Daily Mirror, 3 October 2005
- ^ "BBC honours South West sports stars". BBC.co.uk. December 5 2005. Retrieved 2007-02-12.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
External links
- Plymouth Diving Club profile
- British Swimming profile
- "Diver Daley Wins BBC Young Sports Personality 2007" - British Olympic Association
News articles
- "Picture Gallery" - Daily Telegraph
- "Sponsorship splash for 14 year old diving phenomenon" - Sodexo
- "Thomas tipped for the top" - BBC Sport
- "Stars for 2012" - BBC Sport
- "Olympic Dreams - Tom Daley" - BBC Sport
- "Tom Daley's sights set on Beijing Olympics" - Daily Telegraph
- "High-flyer scaling platform to leap into record books" - The Times
- "Tom Daley, 13, in at the Olympic deep end" - The Times
- "Britain’s youngest summer Olympian"