Tom Daley on the 'Lonely' Times Behind the Olympic Successes

British diver Tom Daley was thrust onto the world stage at his first Olympic Games in 2008, age 14. What remained hidden from the public was the strain success at a young age put on him. "It was a very lonely period because no one really understood." Daley reflects on his diving career and life in the new documentary Tom Daley: 1.6 Seconds (Olympics.com). "Growing up, you think you know everything.... It's only when you look back, you realize you knew absolutely nothing." Daley also had to contend with losing his father and coming out as gay. "It was quite scary to finally, actually, come out. Because I knew that it wasn't just going to be telling my family. There was going to be public opinion." And he recounts being bullied while growing up. "I almost felt guilty for being bullied at school. I'm really grateful and really lucky to be in the position that I'm in, yet I'm having this really rough time." Though revisiting the past was hard, the keen knitter is proud of his documentary. "It would be really cool for my kids to have something to look back on and see what happened in my diving career." 

Watch this episode with Tom Daley: https://www.newsweek.com/2025/06/27/tom-daley-lonely-times-behind-olympic-successes-2082914.html 

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