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'What a story': Tom Daley's inspirational words after career-defining moment

riley morgan
Sports Reporter
·5-min read
Tom Daley (pictured right) breaks down on the podium after winning gold with Matt Lee (pictured left) in diving at the Tokyo Olympics.
Tom Daley (pictured right) was emotional after he claimed his first Olympic gold with diving partner Matt Lee (pictured left) at the Tokyo Games. (Getty Image)

British diver Tom Daley was brought to tears in a beautiful moment with diving partner Matt Lee after winning his first Olympic gold in Tokyo.

Daley said he 'couldn't even sing the national anthem' as tears rolled down his face after finally clinching a gold medal in the synchronised 10m platform final at the Olympics adding to the bronzes he won at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games.

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China's Chen Aisen and Cao Yuan, both already twice Olympic gold medallists, were in pole position for another title until they made a mess of their fourth dive of six.

Daley and Lee took full advantage to deny the all-powerful Chinese their hopes of a golden sweep in diving in the Japanese capital.

The 27-year-old is one of the leading voices on gay rights in the UK and revealed that he might have missed the Games after knee surgery.

But, the inspirational diver was emotional as he stood on the podium with Lee as the pair wiped away tears as they were awarded the gold medals.

It comes as Daley's fourth attempt to go for gold at the Olympics since making his debut aged 14 in Beijing in 2008.

Speaking to the BBC after the medal ceremony, Daley said he couldn’t sing the national anthem because he was “blubbering” so much.

“I mean to finally have this gold medal around my neck after so many – I mean I’ve been diving now for 20 years and this is my fourth Olympic Games and lots of people probably would have counted me out of this Olympics being the older person but I’m in the best shape physically and mentally,” he said.

“With the support of Matty coming into this competition and the way that we’ve been preparing, I think we’ve just had that unstoppable mentality this year and this is the first year that I’ve ever been able to think like that – that we are the ones to beat.”

Tom Daley's inspirational message after Tokyo gold

Daley and Lee fronted the media after their gold medal and the 27-year-old shared a beautiful message after his career-defining moment.

"When I was young, I always felt I was the one that was alone and different and didn't fit in," Daley said.

"I hope that any young LGBTIQ person out there, can see that no matter how alone you think you are, you are not alone.

"And that you can achieve anything."

Daley went on to put an exclamation mark on his inspirational message.

"I feel incredibly proud to say that I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion," Daley said.

"I feel empowered by that because when I was younger I thought I was never going to be anything or achieving anything for who I was and to be an Olympic champion shows you can achieve anything."

Daley's husband, Oscar-winning filmmaker Dustin Lance Black, sent a message after the gold.

"I did say they would hear us from Canada!" Black wrote on an Instagram post.

He also sent a message on Twitter, along with fans.

Watch 'Mind Games', the new series from Yahoo Sport Australia exploring the often brutal mental toil elite athletes go through in pursuit of greatness:

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