Tom Daley wishes his late father could’ve seen him win Olympic gold
Tom Daley dedicated his win to his late father, Robert Daley. (Screen capture via BBC Sport/Twitter)
Britain’s Tom Daley has he wishes his late father was here to see him win both gold and bronze at the Tokyo Olympic games in a touching interview.
Just moments after winning bronze in the individual men’s 10 metre dive on Saturday (7 August), the 27-year-old reflected on what his success means to his family – and whether he’d consider going to Paris in 2024.
Dedicating his triumph to the thousands of Brits who tuned in to his two wins and to his husband of eight years, Dustin Lance Black, a smiling Daley told BBC Sport: “I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone at home and to, in particular, to Lance.
“He’s been my rock throughout this whole thing. He put up with me and sacrificed so much and moved to the UK so I can train.
“My mum and, of course, my dad. I wish that my dad was here to have seen me at these Olympic Games winning two Olympic medals,” he said of his father who passed away a decade ago.
“He would be jumping up – he’d probably be in the pool by now!”
What next for Tom Daley after two medals at Tokyo 2020?
?? "A couple of margaritas!" #Olympics live on @BBCOne, @BBCiPlayer and the BBC Sport app: https://t.co/bL0jq41YFL#bbcolympics #tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/FYsRL0mKBf
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 7, 2021
Tom Daley’s dad, Robert Daley, had been one of his son’s biggest fans. Following Tom’s career despite living with an illness, he practically became part of the furniture by the poolside and press conferences the then-teenager attended.
Robert quietly passed away from brain cancer in May 2011, aged 40. “If I could be half the dad that my dad was to me then that would be my best achievement,” Daley, then 17, said on Twitter at the time.
Daley, also known for his wholesome passion for knitting and unboxing condoms, said he’s been simply “overwhelmed” by the support he’s received from his fans, friends and loved ones.
“It’s also nice to represent Team Great Knitting,” he joked, proving Daley is the purest man on this truly cursed planet.
For now, after earning his historic fourth medal, all Daley has his mind set on is going back to Britain and “chilling out” with some “margaritas”.
“I’m gonna take a bit of a break from diving,” he said, “2018 was my kind of down year, and now I’m on my way up to feeling better, doing better. My body’s feeling good.
“We’ll see,” he said of potentially going to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
