London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Nov 14, 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
UK Upholds Firm Rules on Stablecoins to Shield Financial System
Brussels Divided as UK-EU Reset Stalls Over Budget Access
Prince Harry’s Remembrance Day Essay Expresses Strong Regret at Leaving Britain
UK Unemployment Hits 5% as Wage Growth Slows, Paving Way for Bank of England Rate Cut
Starmer Warns of Resurgent Racism in UK Politics as He Vows Child-Poverty Reforms
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 4.7% as Supermarkets Launch Pre-Christmas Promotions
UK Government Backs the BBC amid Editing Scandal and Trump Threat of Legal Action
UK Assessment Mis-Estimated Fallout From Palestine Action Ban, Records Reveal
UK Halts Intelligence Sharing with US Amid Lethal Boat-Strike Concerns
King Charles III Leads Britain in Remembrance Sunday Tribute to War Dead
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows as Households Hold Back Ahead of Black Friday and Budget
Shell Pulls Out of Two UK Floating Wind Projects Amid Renewables Retreat
Viagogo Hit With £15 Million Tax Bill After HMRC Transfer-Pricing Inquiry
Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Pinches UK GDP, Bank of England Says
UK and Germany Sound Alarm on Russian-Satellite Threat to Critical Infrastructure
Former Prince Andrew Faces U.S. Congressional Request for Testimony Amid Brexit of Royal Title
BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness Resign Amid Editing Controversy
Tom Cruise Arrives by Helicopter at UK Scientology Fundraiser Amid Local Protests
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Face Fresh UK Probes Amid Royal Fallout
Mothers Link Teen Suicides to AI Chatbots in Growing Legal Battle
UK Government to Mirror Denmark’s Tough Immigration Framework in Major Policy Shift
UK Government Turns to Denmark-Style Immigration Reforms to Overhaul Border Rules
UK Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Insulation Funding as Budget Looms
UK Tenant Complaints Hit Record Levels as Rental Sector Faces Mounting Pressure
Apple to Pay Google About One Billion Dollars Annually for Gemini AI to Power Next-Generation Siri
UK Signals Major Shift as Nuclear Arms Race Looms
BBC’s « Celebrity Traitors UK » Finale Breaks Records with 11.1 Million Viewers
UK Spy Case Collapse Highlights Implications for UK-Taiwan Strategic Alignment
On the Road to the Oscars? Meghan Markle to Star in a New Film
A Vote Worth a Trillion Dollars: Elon Musk’s Defining Day
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
President Donald Trump Challenges Nigeria with Military Options Over Alleged Christian Killings
Nancy Pelosi Finally Announces She Will Not Seek Re-Election, Signalling End of Long Congressional Career
UK Pre-Budget Blues and Rate-Cut Concerns Pile Pressure on Pound
ITV Warns of Nine-Per-Cent Drop in Q4 Advertising Revenue Amid Budget Uncertainty
National Grid Posts Slightly Stronger-Than-Expected Half-Year Profit as Regulatory Investments Drive Growth
UK Business Lobby Urges Reeves to Break Tax Pledges and Build Fiscal Headroom
UK to Launch Consultation on Stablecoin Regulation on November 10
UK Savers Rush to Withdraw Pension Cash Ahead of Budget Amid Tax-Change Fears
Massive Spoilers Emerge from MAFS UK 2025: Couple Swaps, Dating App Leaks and Reunion Bombshells
Kurdish-led Crime Network Operates UK Mini-Marts to Exploit Migrants and Sell Illicit Goods
UK Income Tax Hike Could Trigger £1 Billion Cut to Scotland’s Budget, Warns Finance Secretary
Tommy Robinson Acquitted of Terror-related Charge After Phone PIN Dispute
Boris Johnson Condemns Western Support for Hamas at Jewish Community Conference
HII Welcomes UK’s Westley Group to Strengthen AUKUS Submarine Supply Chain
Tragedy in Serbia: Coach Mladen Žižović Collapses During Match and Dies at 44
Diplo Says He Dated Katy Perry — and Justin Trudeau
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Trump Calls Title Removal of Andrew ‘Tragic Situation’ Amid Royal Fallout
UK Bonds Rally as Chancellor Reeves Briefs Markets Ahead of November Budget
×