5-time Olympic medalist Tom Daley retires from diving

Daley, who made his Olympic debut at the Beijing 2008 Olympic games when he was just 14, became an Olympic star at the 2012 London games when, at 18, he won a bronze medal for the solo 10m platform event. He came out the next year in 2013 when he was 19 years old. He was already an international star, and would only become more beloved at each Olympics he competed in.

Daley won another bronze medal in the synchronized 10m platform event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and then took things up a notch for the 2021 games in Tokyo. At those Olympics, Daley not only won a third bronze medal, but also won his first and only gold medal.

That medal came in the synchronized 10m platform event, where he was paired up with Matty Lee.

At this year's Olympics, Daley's final games, he had the honor of being the flag-bearer for Team Great Britain during the opening ceremony.

"Being chosen to be the flag bearer at the opening ceremony of an Olympic Games is the highest honor," he told The Guardian.

Daley wasn't done there, as he took home a silver medal along with his new diving partner Noah Williams in the synchronized diving 10m platform competition, meaning that he now has at least one of each medal.

He retires as Great Britain's most decorated diver, with a total of five Olympic medals.

"It feels very, very surreal. I felt so incredibly nervous going into this, knowing it was my last Olympics," he told British Vogue about his decision to retire. "There was a lot of pressure and expectation. I was eager for it to be done… but when I walked out, and saw my husband and kids and my friends and family in the audience, I was like, you know what? This is exactly why I did this. I'm here and no matter what happens in the competition itself, I'm going to be happy."

"It was emotional at the end, up there on the platform, knowing it was going to be my last competitive dive," he added. "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 can now spend his time with his husband, filmmaker Dustin Lance Black, and their two kids. He also plans on expanding his fashion skills, which already include knitting and crocheting.

Daley took up knitting and crochet in 2020 when his husband suggested he take up a hobby during his rest and recovery from an injury. The next year, he turned the hobby into a brand, Made With Love, where he sells shirts, hoodies, hats, and more. Now, he wants to learn sewing.

"I've also enrolled in a class, a course at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, to be able to learn how to sew," he said. "I knit and I crochet, but sewing will just add a whole different level of knowledge as to how to construct things. I've actually designed a couple pieces of underwear that I'm going to be launching, and then I'm also hoping to launch a swimwear project next year."

Congratulations to Daley on all his hard work and success over the years!