Tom Daley and Matty Lee win synchronised diving gold
The duo won gold in Tokyo.
Tom Daley and Matty Lee claimed a stunning gold in the synchronised 10 metres platform in Tokyo.
The nerveless duo finished with 471.81 points having never dropped out of the top two and took the Olympic title 1.23 points ahead of China, with the Russian Olympic Committee third.
It is Daley’s third Olympic medal after he won bronze at the London and Rio Games.
The pair started well after an inward one-and-a-half somersault pike in the first round and continued their form to lead with two rounds left.
China’s poor dive – a score of 73.44 points was ranked sixth in the fourth round – left the route to gold open for Daley and Lee.
They scored 93.96 in the fourth round with an impressive backwards three-and-a-half somersaults pike to take charge.
A fifth dive – a reverse three-and-a-half somersaults tuck – earned 89.76 points to put the pressure on China ahead of the final round.
Daley said he could not believe it after securing his first Olympic gold medal at his fourth games.
“You want to win an Olympic gold medal but never think you actually will,” he said. “I will carry on but I will definitely take a break. There are some beverages with my name on it to celebrate with my husband and family.
“This means an incredible amount. All athletes put in such hard work and dedication into our performances. To be an Olympic champion after four attempts at it feels extremely special.”
“I owe a lot to Tom because he has taught me a lot.”
Daley said this was the first Games he had come into believing they were the ones to beat.
“I mean to finally have this gold medal around my neck after so many – I mean I’ve been diving now for 20 years and this is my fourth Olympic Games and lots of people probably would have counted me out of this Olympics being the older person but I’m in the best shape physically and mentally,” Daley told the BBC.
“With the support of Matty coming into this competition and the way that we’ve been preparing, I think we’ve just had that unstoppable mentality this year and this is the first year that I’ve ever been able to think like that – that we are the ones to beat.
“I still honestly can’t believe what’s happening and I honestly didn’t think I would get there in the first place, but here we are.”
