Tom Daley has long dreamed of a gold medal at the Olympic Games, and in synchronized jumping his wish finally came true. But his victory was not only a sporting success, it also made him a symbol.
Tom Daley and his diving partner Matty Lee secured the gold medal in water diving. The British duo won the synchronized jumping from the ten-meter board. However, Daley’s Olympic victory was more than just a sporting success – it also made the 27-year-old a symbol. Because Daley is openly gay.
The athlete was also very aware of the importance of his victory. “I am incredibly proud to say that I am a gay man and at the same time an Olympic champion,” he said at the press conference. “When I was younger I didn’t think I would ever achieve anything because of who I was. Being an Olympic champion now shows that anything can be achieved.”
Tom Daley dreamed of Olympic gold as a child
A good seven and a half years ago, Daley announced in a YouTube video that he was with a man. He and his husband Dustin Lance Black are now parents of one child. He said of his fatherhood after winning the Olympics: “It has been the most amazing, life-changing trip for me and I can’t wait to go back and see my husband and son, hug them and celebrate this incredible experience with them.”
For Daley, a long-cherished dream comes true with the gold medal. As early as 2005, when he was only eleven, he said in a TV report on the BBC: “I want to take part in the Olympic Games and win gold.” Today he himself is a bit shocked – he was “obsessed” back then, says Daley: “If my son would say something like that at that age, I would say to him: ‘Wow, calm down, take your time.'” Yes, it was Ambition paid off: Daley won bronze at the home games in London in 2012 and in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and now the longed-for gold in high diving has finally followed.
A role model for the LGBTQ community
Daley used his Olympic victory to send a clear message to many people who are discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. As a child he felt like an “outsider”, he said: “I thought that I would never become anything because I was not what society expected.” With his story, he wants to send a signal to other people in the LGBTQ community, since homosexuality is mostly still frowned upon in sports: “I hope that children are encouraged when they see LGBTQ athletes at the Olympic Games so that they can no longer feel so alone and afraid. Whoever you are, no matter where you come from, you can become an Olympic champion – I made it. “
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I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
