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Gay Diver Tom Daley Wins First Gold Medal, Vows to 'Carry On'
Gay Diver Tom Daley Wins First Gold Medal, Vows to 'Carry On'
Daley already won two bronze medals at previous Olympic Games.Â
Out British diver Tom Daley won his first Olympic gold medal on Monday with diving partner Matty Lee in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform in Tokyo.
Daley, 27, won Bronze medals at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games. He first competed in the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 at 14.
"I feel incredibly proud to say that I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion. When I was younger I didn't think I'd ever achieve anything because of who I was. To be an Olympic champion now just shows that you can achieve anything," Daley said in a press junket after the win.
Daley and Lee beat out Chinese diving pair Cao Yuan and Chen Aisen by one point. The Russian team won bronze.
"In terms of out athletes, there are more openly out athletes at these Olympic Games than any Olympic Games previously. I came out in 2013 and when I was younger I always felt like the one that was alone and different and didn't fit," Daley said. "There was something about me that was never going to be as good as what society wanted me to be. I hope that any young LGBT person out there can see that no matter how alone you feel right now, you are not alone. You can achieve anything."
The diver married Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black in 2017. On Twitter Black, whom Daley has a son with, celebrated Daley's gold.
\u201cNo words! So so many tears! @TomDaley1994 you're an OLYMPIC CHAMPION! Congratulations Tom and @MattyLee!\u201d— Dustin Lance Black (@Dustin Lance Black) 1627283566
At one point, The Guardian reported, a journalist asked Daley about his son, Robbie. Daley said, "It's been the most amazing, life-changing journey for me and I can't wait to go and see them, my husband and my son, to give them a big hug and be able to celebrate on this incredible journey that it has been."
Daley rejected notions of retiring after this Olympics and now winning a gold medal.
"You want to win an Olympic gold medal but never think you actually will. I will carry on, but I will definitely take a break. There are some beverages with my name on it to celebrate with my husband and family," Daley said. "This means an incredible amount. All athletes put in such hard work and dedication into our performances. To be an Olympic champion after four attempts at it feels extremely special."
Daley will compete in the individual event as well this year.
