Tom Daley reflected on the ‘special’ bond he had with his father Robbie in an emotional clip.
The 30-year-old Olympic diver, who is competing in his fifth Olympiad in Paris, says he thinks about his father “every day” after he died at the age of 17.
His father Robbie passed away in 2011 at the age of 40 after a long five-year battle with brain cancer.
Looking back on a clamp When he first qualified for the Olympics in 2008, Robbie and the young Daley were seen embracing after his victory.
Tom shared how sad he was that Robbie never got to see him have children or win a gold medal at the Olympics.
Tom Daley, 30, reflected on the ‘special’ bond he had with his father Robbie in an emotional clip
The Olympic diver, who is competing in his fifth Olympiad in Paris, said he thinks about his father “every day” after he died when he was just 17
He also hoped that his father would never regret sacrificing his life for Tom’s early career and passion.
He said: ‘It’s really beautiful to see that again. To know how much he gave up and how much he sacrificed is very special. I hope he never regretted that.
“He saw me compete at the Olympics in 2008. That’s one of the reasons why I had to qualify for those Games at such a young age. That way he got the chance to see that, because he wasn’t there anymore in 2012.
‘So he never saw that Olympic medal, and he never saw me have children and then win an Olympic gold medal.
‘Our son Robbie is now named after him, so we think about him every day.’
Tom made his debut for Great Britain at the 2008 Games in Beijing and went on to win bronze medals in London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016.
Despite retiring after winning gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the swimmer came out of retirement to dive for his children in Paris.
Tom and Noah Williams will compete in the race in Paris on July 29.
His father Robbie died in 2011 at the age of 40 after a long five-year battle with brain tumors.
Looking back at a clip of him qualifying for his first Olympic Games in 2008, Robbie and a young Daley were seen hugging after his victory
Tom shared his sadness that Robbie never got to see him have children or win a gold medal at the Olympics
Tom enjoyed knitting as he watched the women’s 3m springboard final at the swimming centre on Saturday, the first day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
The diver knitted a GB jersey for the team
Williams and Daley won silver together at the World Championships in February, securing a place at the Olympic Games.
Unlike in Tokyo, Tom will not appear on the individual 10-meter platform, so he can concentrate solely on the synchronized event.
Tom reportedly changed his mind about retirement last year after visiting the Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs with his husband Lance and sons Robbie and Phoenix.