British diver Tom Daley, a five-time Olympic medalist, has announced his retirement from diving on Monday.
In an interview with British Vogue magazine, Daley shared that he has made the decision to end his career at the age of 30.
Throughout his career, Daley competed in five Olympic Games, starting with Beijing 2008 and achieving gold and bronze in Tokyo, silver in Paris, and bronzes in London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Reflecting on his recent success at the 10m synchronized event in Paris, where he won his fifth Olympic medal, Daley expressed, “It feels very, very surreal. I felt so incredibly nervous going into this, knowing it was my last Olympics.”
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“There was a lot of pressure and expectations. I was eager for it to be done. But when I walked out and saw my husband (Lance) and kids (Robbie and Phoenix) and my friends and family in the audience, I was like, you know what? This is exactly why I did this. … It was emotional at the end, up there on the platform, knowing it was going to be my last competitive dive.
“But I have to make the decision at some point, and it feels like the right time. It’s the right time to call it a day.”
Daley’s most recent gold medal was in the 10m synchronized event in Tokyo alongside Matty Lee. He returned to defend his title in Paris after encouragement from his son Robbie and won silver with Noah Williams.
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