London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Tom Daley says he hopes ‘out’ athletes make LGBT people feel less alone

Tom Daley says he hopes ‘out’ athletes make LGBT people feel less alone

The diver came third in the solo 10 metres event on Saturday.

om Daley said he hopes seeing “out” athletes will make people feel valued and less alone as he won the fourth Olympic medal of his career.

The 27-year-old, who ended a 13-year wait for Olympic gold when he triumphed on the synchronised 10 metres platform last week alongside Matty Lee, came third in the solo 10 metres event on Saturday.

Following anti-LGBT commentary on Russian state television, Daley said history shows that society has been dictated from the “straight, white, male experience”.

Tom Daley during the men’s 10m platform final


Daley has been married for four years and has a son with husband American screenwriter Dustin Lance Black.

The Plymouth-born diver, who came out in 2013, is among a record number of LGBT+ athletes at these Games, some of whom have come in for offensive commentary from Russian state television.

Speaking after winning a bronze medal on Saturday, Daley said: “I had no idea. When we’re at the Olympics, it’s kind of like we’re in a bubble and we don’t really see anything.”

Daley was reportedly referred to as “a British homosexual” on Russian state TV, and he told reporters: “History shows that everything that society is has been dictated from the straight, white, male experience.”

While he feels accepted by his own nation, Daley believes there is still a lot more that can be done worldwide.


“Of course it’s come a long way,” he said. “There’s still a lot further to go. There are 10 countries that are competing at these Olympic Games where being LGBT is punishable by death.

“I feel extremely lucky to be representing Team GB, to be able to stand on the diving board as myself with a husband and a son and not worry about any ramifications.

“But I know that I’m very fortunate to have that and that there are lots of people who grow up around the world with less fortunate situations.

“I just hope that seeing out sportspeople in all these different sports is going to help people feel less alone, feel like they are valued and can achieve something.”

After winning gold earlier in the Games, Daley said he hopes his victory acts as an inspiration for the LGBT community.

Great Britain’s Tom Daley during the Men’s 10m Platform Final


“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,” he said.

Earlier this week, the BBC said an International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesman told them they were contacting the official Russian broadcaster, one of the two channels in question, to express their concern.

Daley said he is now going to have a bit of a break and “a couple of margaritas”.

He told the BBC: “I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone at home, and in particular to Lance, my husband.

“He has been my rock throughout this whole thing and has put up with me and sacrificed so much, moved to the UK so I can train.

“My mum, and of course my dad.

“I wish that my dad was here to have seen me at these Olympic Games winning two Olympic medals.

“He would be jumping up, and he’d probably be in the pool by now.

“I’m so overwhelmed with all the love and support back home.”

Daley’s father Robert died aged 40 from a brain tumour in 2011.

Following Daley’s success on Saturday, his husband tweeted: “Are you kidding me?! Another Olympic medal! Two for two!

“So so so proud of you my love! Now bring those medals home my sweet champion.”

Daley made his Olympic debut aged 14 and now has three bronze medals and one gold medal from his efforts at the Games over the years.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×