History of Tom Daley in Timeline
Tom Daley is a highly decorated British diver known for his achievements in the 10-meter platform and synchronized diving events. He is a four-time Olympic medalist, including a gold medal in the synchronized event at the 2020 Olympics. Daley has also excelled at the World Championships, securing two individual gold medals and two mixed team gold medals. He holds multiple titles in European and Commonwealth competitions, solidifying his status as a prominent figure in British diving history.
1958: Previous Youngest European Championships Gold Medalist
The previous youngest winner of a European Championships gold medal was Scottish swimmer Ian Black, who won in 1958 at the age of 17.
1960: Youngest Male British Olympian in 1960
Ken Lester, cox to the rowing pair at the 1960 Summer Olympics, was 13 years and 144 days old at the time, making him the youngest-ever male British Olympian.
May 1994: Birth of Tom Daley
Thomas Robert Daley was born on 21 May 1994 at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Devon, England. This marks the beginning of the future Olympic diver's life.
May 1994: Birth of Tom Daley
Thomas Robert Daley was born on 21 May 1994 at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Devon, England. This marks the beginning of the future Olympic diver's life.
1998: Alexandre Despatie Wins Gold
In 1998, Canadian diver Alexandre Despatie, who would later become an inspiration to Tom Daley, won gold at the Commonwealth Games at the age of 13.
September 2002: Spotted by a Coach
In September 2002, Tom Daley was spotted by a coach during regular diving lessons and was placed in a competitive squad, marking the beginning of his diving career.
April 2003: First Competition
In April 2003, Tom Daley competed in his first competition, the National Novice Championships, where he won a medal in the 8/9-year-old boys category.
September 2003: First Invitational Event
In September 2003, Tom Daley participated in an invitational event in Southampton, where he won the 1m, 3m, and platform events, and first made his mark on a wider audience.
June 2004: Youngest Winner of National Junior Under-18 Group
In June 2004, the month after his tenth birthday, Tom Daley won the platform competition in the National Junior Under-18 group, making him the youngest winner of that event.
2004: Retirement of Leon Taylor
Following the retirement of 2004 silver medallist Leon Taylor, Tom Daley qualified for the 10m platform synchro competition at the 2008 Olympics.
2004: British Championships Age Group Winner
In 2004, Tom Daley won his age group at the British Championships in the 1m springboard, the 3m springboard, and platform events, showcasing his early talent.
2005: Australian Elite Junior Nationals and Aachen Junior International
In 2005, Tom Daley competed in the Australian Elite Junior Nationals, placing first in platform and second in 3m springboard in the 14-15 age group. He also competed in the Aachen Junior International, placing second in platform and third in 3m springboard.
2005: Repeat British Championships Wins
In 2005, Tom Daley once again won his age group at the British Championships in the 1m springboard, the 3m springboard, and platform events, continuing his dominance.
December 2006: Second Place in Senior British Championships
In December 2006, Tom Daley placed second in the 10m platform at the senior British Championships, marking a significant achievement in his young career.
2006: Third Consecutive British Championships Wins
In 2006, Tom Daley won his age group at the British Championships in the 1m springboard, the 3m springboard, and platform events for the third consecutive year.
January 2007: Silver Medal at Australian Youth Olympic Festival
In January 2007, Tom Daley, at the age of twelve, was given special dispensation to compete at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival, where he won a silver medal in the 10m synchronized-diving final with partner Callum Johnstone.
2007: BBC Sports Personality of the Year Young Personality Award
In 2007, Tom Daley was awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Young Personality award, highlighting him as a medal prospect for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
2007: Under-18 British Champion and Senior British Championships
In 2007, Tom Daley was the under-18 British champion in platform and 3m springboard. He also placed second in the 10m platform at the senior British Championships, held in December 2006.
2007: Senior Platform Title and FINA Circuit Competitions
In 2007, Tom Daley won the senior platform title at the ASA National Championships and began competing in FINA's international diving circuit of Grand Prix and World Series events, twice finishing fourth in individual competition.
January 2008: Youngest Winner of Senior British 10m Title
In January 2008, Tom Daley won the 10m platform event at the British Championships, becoming the youngest winner of the senior British 10m title. He also won the 10m platform synchro title with new partner Blake Aldridge.
March 2008: Youngest European Championships Gold Medalist
In March 2008, Tom Daley became the youngest person to win a gold medal at the European Championships, held in Eindhoven. This milestone added to his early diving achievements.
2008: Olympic Qualification and Performance
In 2008, Tom Daley qualified for the Beijing Olympics in the individual 10m dive and the 10m platform synchro competition. He became one of the youngest male British Olympians, placing eighth in synchro and seventh in individual events.
2008: Youngest British Competitor at 2008 Olympics
In 2008, Tom Daley represented Great Britain at the Summer Olympics, becoming Britain's youngest competitor at age fourteen and the youngest from any nation to participate in a final.
February 2009: British Diving Championships
In February 2009, Daley retained his individual British 10m platform title with a personal best score, but was unable to defend his synchronized title due to his partner's injury.
March 2009: FINA Diving World Series - China
In March 2009, Daley achieved a new personal best score while competing in the Diving World Series in China, finishing third.
April 2009: New Diving Partnership
Following a disagreement with his former partner, Daley began diving with Max Brick in April 2009.
April 2009: Speaking Out Against Bullying
In April 2009, Tom Daley spoke out about being bullied at school since the Olympics. His father also revealed that he had temporarily withdrawn Tom from school due to ineffective responses to the bullying, earning Tom praise in the media for his bravery.
May 2009: Fort Lauderdale Diving Competition
Daley and Brick won silver in the synchronized event in Fort Lauderdale in May 2009, with Daley also winning the individual event with a new personal best.
September 2009: FINA Diving Rule Change
In September 2009, FINA reduced the tariff on one of Daley's dives.
2009: FINA World Championships
Daley won the individual platform title at the 2009 World Championships in Rome, while he and Brick finished ninth in the synchronized event.
2009: Previous Individual 10m Title
This entry marks the last time before June 2012 that Daley won the individual 10m title at the British Gas Diving Championships.
2009: First World Champion Title
In 2009, at the young age of fifteen, Tom Daley won his first World Championship title in the FINA 10-metre platform event, showcasing his early talent on the global stage.
2009: Career-Best Ranking in FINA
In 2009, Tom Daley achieved a career-best ranking of number one in the FINA World Aquatics Championships Diving Rankings for the 10-metre platform.
February 2010: British Diving Championships
Daley debuted a new dive at the February 2010 British Championships, where he finished second.
March 2010: FINA Diving World Series - Qingdao
Daley showcased two new dives and achieved his best score of the year so far at the March 2010 FINA Diving World Series in Qingdao.
April 2010: FINA Diving World Series - Veracruz
Daley participated in two events in Veracruz for the FINA Diving World Series in April 2010, failing to qualify in the first but finishing fourth in the second.
August 2010: European Championships and Youth Olympics
Daley suffered an injury at the European Championships in August 2010, impacting his participation in the Youth Olympics. He competed in the 3m springboard event at the Youth Olympics, finishing ninth.
August 2010: YouTube Channel Launch
Tom Daley started his YouTube channel in August 2010, featuring a variety of content like vlogs, exercise routines, and food-related videos.
October 2010: Commonwealth Games
Daley won gold in both the individual and synchronized 10m platform events at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
November 2010: BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards
In November 2010, Daley won the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award for the third time.
2010: Previous Commonwealth Games Victory
This entry references Daley's previous gold medal win in the men's 10m platform at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
2010: Commonwealth Games Gold Medals
Tom Daley won two gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the 10-metre synchro diving and the 10-metre Individual Platform competition, marking his dominance in diving.
May 2011: Death of Tom Daley's Father
On 27 May 2011, Tom Daley's father, Robert Daley, passed away from a brain tumour at the age of 40, just a few days after Tom's 17th birthday.
July 2011: Olympic Park Aquatics Centre Opening
Daley took the first dive in the newly-built Olympic Park Aquatics Centre in July 2011.
2011: FINA World Championships
At the 2011 World Championships, Daley finished sixth in the synchronized 10m platform and fifth in the individual 10m platform.
2011: British National Cup
Daley came second in the 3m springboard and first in the synchronized 10m platform event at the 2011 British National Cup.
February 2012: Criticism and World Cup Performance
Daley withdrew from the National Cup in early 2012 due to injury and faced criticism from his performance director. He finished seventh in the 10m synchro at the FINA World Cup.
April 2012: British Elite Juniors Championship
Daley won the British elite juniors 10m platform title in April 2012.
May 2012: European 10-metre platform title
In May 2012, Daley won gold at the European Championships in Eindhoven with a score of 565.05 points, securing the 10-metre platform title.
June 2012: British Gas Diving Championships
In June 2012, at the British Gas Diving Championships, Daley and Waterfield won the 10m synchro platform title with a record score. Daley also reclaimed the individual 10m title for the first time since 2009.
October 2012: 19th FINA World Junior Diving Championships
Daley, along with Jack Laugher, won the Boys "A" 3 m synchronized springboard competition at the 19th FINA World Junior Diving Championships in October 2012, despite having limited practice as a pair.
2012: Completion of A-level Studies
In 2012, Tom Daley completed his A-level studies in mathematics, Spanish, and photography, passing all exams with A or A* grades. He chose not to undertake an International Baccalaureate due to his Olympic preparations.
2012: Face of the 2012 Summer Olympics
Daley was considered one of the prominent figures of the 2012 Summer Olympics in Britain. His image was featured on large banners across the country.
2012: FINA Diving World Series
Daley participated in several FINA Diving World Series events in 2012, winning medals in both individual and synchronized events. He and Waterfield won the overall titles for both individual and synchronized 10m platform events.
2012: Olympic Bronze Medal in Platform Event
Tom Daley won a bronze medal in the 2012 Olympic platform event, marking his first Olympic medal and a significant achievement in his diving career.
2012: Bronze Medal at 2012 Olympics
In 2012, Tom Daley won a bronze medal in the Olympic platform event, marking his first Olympic medal and a key highlight of his career.
2012: Bronze Medal at 2012 Olympics
In 2012, Tom Daley won a bronze medal in the Olympic platform event, marking his first Olympic medal and a key highlight of his career.
January 2013: Splash! TV Show
In January 2013, Daley became an expert advisor on the celebrity diving show "Splash!". While popular, the show drew criticism, and Daley was cautioned about potential impact on his Olympic aspirations.
January 2013: Television Debut on Splash!
On 5 January 2013, Tom Daley made his television debut as a mentor on ITV's celebrity diving reality show Splash!, expanding his career into television.
December 2013: Coming Out
Tom Daley publicly announced his relationship with a man through a YouTube video in December 2013, expressing his happiness and revealing his feelings for Dustin Lance Black.
2013: Injury and World Championships
Daley's participation in diving was hampered by an elbow injury in 2013. Despite a torn triceps, he competed in the World Championships with medical attention, finishing 6th in the 10m platform.
January 2014: Cancellation of Splash!
The second season of "Splash!" aired in January 2014, with Daley reprising his role. However, due to lower ratings, the show was not renewed for another season.
August 2014: Opposition to Scottish Independence
In August 2014, Tom Daley joined nearly 200 public figures in signing a letter to The Guardian expressing their opposition to Scottish independence ahead of the referendum in September.
August 2014: European Championships in Berlin
At the 2014 European Championships, Daley and Denny finished fourth in the 10m synchro. Daley individually secured the silver medal in the 10m platform event.
2014: Tom Daley Goes Global
Daley hosted a six-part travel show called "Tom Daley Goes Global" that aired on ITV2 in 2014.
2014: Splash! Second Season
The show "Splash!", featuring Daley as an expert advisor, was renewed for a second season in 2014.
2014: 2014 Commonwealth Games
Daley won silver in the men's synchronized 10m platform with James Denny and gold in the men's 10m platform at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. This victory marked his second consecutive gold in the event.
2014: Move to London and New Coach
Daley relocated his training to the London Aquatics Centre and began working with a new coach, Jane Figueiredo, in 2014.
July 2015: Discussion on Sexual Orientation
In a July 2015 interview with The Guardian, Tom Daley discussed his sexual orientation, stating that he doesn't label it and mentioning past relationships with girls and his stronger feelings for Lance.
October 2015: Engagement to Dustin Lance Black
Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black got engaged in October 2015.
2015: New Dive Introduced
In 2015, Daley replaced his challenging "demon dive" with a new dive called the "firework", showcasing it at the British championships.
2015: Patron of Switchboard LGBT+ Charity
Tom Daley became a patron of the LGBT+ charity Switchboard in 2015 and collaborated with YouTuber Calum McSwiggan to relaunch the charity with its new name.
2015: First Mixed Team World Title
Tom Daley won the inaugural mixed team World title in 2015, showcasing his versatility and team spirit in diving.
2016: FINA Diving World Cup and Series
In 2016, Daley and Goodfellow won bronze at the FINA Diving World Cup, securing their place at the Olympics. They also won two silver and two bronze medals at the FINA Diving World Series. Daley individually added a silver and bronze to his medal haul.
2016: New Synchro Partnership
Daley teamed up with Daniel Goodfellow for the 10m men's synchro, aiming for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
2016: Individual 10m Platform Final
Daley qualified for the men's individual 10m platform diving final at the Tokyo Olympics, surpassing his performance in the same event at the Rio Olympics in 2016. He ultimately won the bronze medal.
2016: Olympic Bronze Medal in Synchronised Event
At the 2016 Olympics, Tom Daley secured a bronze medal in the synchronised 10-metre platform event, adding another Olympic medal to his collection.
2016: 2016 Summer Olympics
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Daley and Goodfellow earned bronze in 10m synchro. Despite setting an Olympic record in the individual 10m preliminaries, Daley placed 18th in the semi-finals, missing the final.
May 2017: Marriage to Dustin Lance Black
Tom Daley married Dustin Lance Black at Bovey Castle in Devon in May 2017.
July 2017: FINA World Championships Gold Medal
Daley won the gold medal in the 10m platform event at the FINA World Championships in Budapest on July 22, 2017.
October 2017: Hosting the Virgin Holidays Attitude Awards
Tom Daley hosted the Virgin Holidays Attitude Awards for the first time in October 2017.
2017: Second World Champion Title
In 2017, Tom Daley became a double world champion by winning the FINA 10-metre platform event again, eight years after his first win.
April 2018: Identifying as Queer
During an interview with PinkNews in April 2018, Tom Daley identified as "queer," not exclusively straight or gay.
June 2018: Birth of First Son
Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black welcomed their first son, born via surrogacy, in June 2018.
September 2018: Appearance on Desert Island Discs
Tom Daley appeared on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in September 2018, sharing his favorite music, book, and luxury item.
October 2018: New Partnership with Matty Lee
Daley began partnering with Matty Lee in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform in October 2018.
2018: 2018 Commonwealth Games
Daley and Goodfellow won gold in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia.
2018: 2018 FINA Diving World Series
Daley secured a total of five medals at the 2018 FINA Diving World Series: one silver and one bronze in Beijing, one silver each in Fuji, Montreal, and Kazan.
2018: Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Rights
Tom Daley used his platform to advocate for the repeal of anti-gay laws in Commonwealth countries, a move that sparked discussions and calls for action from prominent figures like Boris Johnson and Theresa May.
2019: 2019 World Aquatics Championships
Daley and Lee secured a bronze medal in the 10m synchro event at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.
2020: Knitting Hobby and Olympic Cardigan
Tom Daley took up knitting and crocheting during the COVID-19 lockdown. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he showcased a hand-knitted Olympic-themed cardigan and was often seen knitting while watching other athletes compete. He even has a separate Instagram account dedicated to his knitting and crochet projects.
2020: 2020 Olympic Gold Medal
Daley and Lee achieved a momentous victory at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, winning the gold medal in the men's synchronized 10m platform diving event.
2020: Tokyo Olympics Test Event
The 2021 FINA Diving World Cup in Japan acted as a test event for the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
2020: Olympic Gold Medal in Men's Synchronised 10-Metre Platform
In 2020, Tom Daley won his first Olympic gold medal in the men's synchronised 10-metre platform event, marking a significant milestone in his diving career.
September 2021: YouTube Milestone
By September 2021, Tom Daley's YouTube channel had amassed over 1,200,000 subscribers and garnered more than 130 million views.
October 2021: Campaign for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Olympics
In October 2021, Tom Daley announced his mission to advocate for banning countries with the death penalty for homosexuality from participating in future Olympic Games.
December 2021: Alternative Christmas Message Delivery
Tom Daley delivered the Alternative Christmas message on Channel 4 in December 2021.
2021: 2021 FINA Diving World Cup and European Championships
At the 2021 FINA Diving World Cup, Daley earned his first World Cup gold in the 10m synchro with Matty Lee and another in the individual 10m. They continued their success at the European Championships with another gold in synchro and silver in the individual 10m.
2022: Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Tom Daley was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for his contributions to diving, LGBTQ+ rights, and charity.
March 2023: Birth of Second Son
The second son of Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black was born in March 2023.
2023: Assistant Diving Coach at UCLA
In 2023, Tom Daley began a new chapter in his career by becoming an assistant diving coach at UCLA, contributing his expertise to upcoming divers.
July 2024: Joining Eurosport as a Pundit
In July 2024, it was announced that Tom Daley would be part of Eurosport's team of pundits for their coverage of the Paris Olympics.
2024: Silver Medal at Paris Olympics & Flag Bearer
In 2024, Tom Daley and Noah Williams secured the silver medal in the 10 metre platform synchronised event at the Paris Summer Olympics. Daley was also chosen as one of Team GB's flag-bearers for the opening ceremony, sharing the honor with rower Helen Glover.
2024: Silver Medal in Men's Synchronised 10-Metre at 2024 Olympics
In the 2024 Olympics, Tom Daley won a silver medal in the men's synchronised 10-metre platform event, continuing his streak of Olympic success.