Tom Daley decided not to compete at the Commonwealth Games last year in order to spend more time with his husband and first son, who was born in 2018 via a surrogate; He is the first Team GB diver to win four Olympic medals with one gold and three bronze to his name
Tuesday 28 November 2023 16:19, UK
Great Britain's Tom Daley is hoping to compete at the Paris Olympics next year after returning to the British Swimming's World Class Programme for diving.
The 29-year-old took a two-year break from the sport after winning gold at the Tokyo 2020 in the 10 metre platform event in Tokyo swimming with Matty Lee, and claimed his third bronze medal in the 10m platform.
Daley is the first Team GB diver to win four Olympic medals, having also previously won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics in the individual discipline and in the synchronized 10m platform with Dan Goodfellow at Rio in 2016.
"I don't know if it's going to be possible but you never say never. Paris 2024 is definitely a goal," said Daley.
"I don't know if this is going to be a completely silly idea of me getting back in the pool or an opportunity for me to do this recreationally and have a bit of fun without any pressure, or if my body is going to be able to get back on a diving board and dive half-decently."
Daley started diving at the age of seven and made his Olympic debut for Great Britain when he was 14. In 2013 he came out as gay in a YouTube video and has since become an outspoken advocate of LGBTQ+ rights.
He decided not to compete at the Commonwealth Games last year in order to spend more time with his husband and first son, who was born in 2018 via a surrogate.
The podium programme allows athletes to receive financial assistance and other support to help their training and competition.
"We hope that the competition opportunities we can provide over the coming months will allow the cohort to build towards next summer's Olympic Games," said Tim Jones, the British Swimming's associate performance director.
Yasmin Harper, Scarlett Mew Jensen and Kyle Kothari have all moved up from the podium potential to the main programme.
