Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020
They've only gone and done it.
By Will Stroude
Words: Will Stroude; Photography: Eddie Blagborough
Tom Daley and Matty Lee are Olympic champions after taking gold in the men’s 10m synchro.
The British pair pipped rivals China to the post by less than two points in the Japanese capital on Monday (26 July) as they secured Team GB’s second gold medal of the Games.
Tom and Matty finished with 471.91 points – just a whisker ahead of China’s Cao Yuan and Chen Aisen, who finished with 470.58.
The victory marks Tom Daley’s first Olympic gold medal in four appearances at an Olympic Games, while Matty Lee, 23, has managed the feat on his Olympic debut.
Tom’s performance also makes him the first out gay man to win a medal at Tokyo 2020.
Speaking to the Attitude July issue earlier this year, Tom reflected on balancing family and fatherhood with his Olympic dreams, and appeared more focused than ever on achieving greatness in Tokyo.
Tom wears swimwear by adidas (Photography: Eddie Blagborough)
“I think all of my friends, if they were to describe me, I’m just one of those weird people that if I want to do something, I’ll do it,” Tom said of the mentality that’s propelled him to global sporting fame.
“I’m quite impulsive in that way, whether that be wanting to go to the Olympics, wanting to learn how to knit and crochet, becoming a planned parent, all of these things.
“I’m a big dreamer, but I also never put limits on what I can achieve, and I think that’s something that I’ve just always done from a young age.”
The three-time Olympian, who made his breakthrough at Beijing 2008 aged 14 before coming out publicly five years later while still a teenager, went on: “I’m quite obsessive, if I set my mind to [do] something I’m very much addicted to getting there.
Photography: Eddie Blagborough
“Which is a good trait, but can also be a dangerous trait, because I set my mind and get very blinkered to what I want to achieve.”
The father-of-one added: “And especially in an Olympic year, my husband’s always, like, ‘I’m looking forward to Olympic year being over, because you’re very much a worrier’.
“I’m very strong-willed during an Olympic year; I know what I want, I like my routine. But in any other year I’m not really like that, I’m a little bit more go with the flow, and free-spirited.”