My Story
Page 16
In terms of my diving it was important to get back to training consistently and get into preparation mode prior to the Worlds. I was also revising for my AS levels as I had a Maths one, which didn’t go very well.
I feel really responsible now towards my mum and I want to look after everyone. I feel it’s my job to make sure we have enough money and I have to keep diving for that. I bought Mum a special Pandora bead to remind her of Dad. When we went on holiday to Spain once, we went to this Chinese restaurant and we joked that the Buddha was Dad, so I bought a special Buddha. Mum is so strong; she is amazing.
Looking To 2012
Sooner or later, I knew, I would be back in the media spotlight and about three weeks after the funeral I travelled to London for a day of interviews around Get Set Go Free for Nestlé. I tried to put on a positive front and stuck to the same line – that Dad would want me to continue with my diving. I did some climbing on a wall at Potter’s Fields in London to try and promote their latest campaign to get families into sport and, after a 5 a.m. start, did interviews with Daybreak, Sky, and various radio stations and newspapers.
I also did an interview with the ES Magazine for the Evening Standard, with some pictures of me diving in my uniform. The day before, some of the lines had been pulled out of the interview for the paper and on the front cover was ‘Tom Daley’s suicide threat revealed’. They had spoken to Andy and run with the line of me being homesick when I was younger, saying ‘I would rather be dead’ than be away.
EVERYONE AROUND ME WAS A BIT ANNOYED WITH THE WAY THEY HAD SPUN THE LINE UP BUT I DIDN’T CARE; I THOUGHT IT WAS QUITE AMUSING BECAUSE IT WAS SO FAR FROM THE TRUTH.
Then it was on to China. I didn’t know whether I would be called ‘Baby Daley’ this time round – as I guess at 5ft 9in I would be about two foot taller than everyone there!
I was worried about leaving my mum and brothers at home but Mum’s parents were going to stay, which made me feel a bit better, and I rang her every day.
First off we went to Xian for a two-week training camp. It was great to be back and we stayed in the Shangri-La again, which was amazing.
They had a ping-pong room there where we played this game called Ultimate Pong, which was basically like table tennis without the table. It was great to see all the other divers from around the world. We also went to see the Terracotta Army, which was pretty impressive.
From there we travelled to Shanghai. It was so humid; it felt like being in a giant steam room all the time. My popularity in China is bonkers. I am one of the most famous non-Chinese Olympians. I have nearly 1,000,000 followers on my Tencent Wiebo account – their equivalent of Twitter. On one day I was interviewed by all the Chinese newspapers and met sixteen fans who had flown in from cities across the country and everyone kept asking me if I have a girlfriend.
The outdoor pool was stunning and had a massive covered area for the spectators against a backdrop of the city’s harbour. It felt like an indoor pool because it was so new and shiny. It rained a lot during training, which felt a bit strange, but there were also some sunny periods so I could top up my tan!
Almost as soon as we arrived, Pete got flu-like symptoms and we were almost going to pull out, deciding the day before the competition that we would compete.
Pete could not hear in one ear and it was fairly windy at the stadium. We started well with our inward one and a half somersaults but weren’t able to maintain it after the Chinese managed five perfect 10s on their second round. We finished sixth with 407.56 points but we felt it was OK considering our preparation had not been very good. Huo Liang and Qiu picked up gold with 480.03, ahead of Germany on 443.01 and Ukraine on 435.36. We were happy that we had qualified the UK for a spot in the Olympics, but in some ways it felt like a missed opportunity.
UP THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA. IT WAS MUCH COLDER THAN IT LOOKS!
THE TEAM DOING OUR FAVOURITE HANDSTAND TRICK – NOT SURE WHAT THE OTHER TOURISTS WERE THINKING!
On our last day in Xian we did a practice run-through, getting up at the time we would for the event, eating the same food, doing the same warm-up and waiting the same amount of time between dives. And for that we scored a personal best, so it was a little bit disappointing.
In the individual event I never expected to keep my title of World Champion. Qiu was unstoppable in the semi-finals, registering a set of perfect scores. The finals were delayed after a scary thunderstorm and when we finally did dive it was raining and there were some thunderclaps, which added to the drama! In the end Qiu won gold with 585.45 points, David Boudia got silver with 544.25, while Sascha Klein scored 534.50 for bronze. I beat the 90-point mark on two of my dives – my armstand back triple and my reverse three and a half – and while the rest of my list was steady, I ended fifth with 505.10. Although I would have loved to be on the podium, I still felt positive about my performance and knew that if I had performed all my dives to my best, I could have been there. Pete and I qualified the UK for two spots in the Olympics. And while Qiu is clearly consistent, there are at least eight other divers out there who can match his performance.
I know there is going to be a lot of expectation for London 2012. But people who know sport know that it doesn’t just happen and it’s not a totally foregone conclusion that I’m going to win gold in 2012. No way is that the case.
ANY OF THE TOP DIVERS IN THE WORLD COULD WIN THE GOLD MEDAL IF THEY DIVE WELL ON THE DAY. IT’S JUST ABOUT WHO HAS GOT THE RIGHT MENTALITY.
After the event it was a case of heading straight to London for the ‘one year to go’ celebrations. The London Aquatics Centre looked incredible. There are three pools: one each for training, competition and diving. All three have floating floors so the depth can be adjusted, and there is no smell of chlorine as high-tech filters clean the water and cut down the need for chemicals. Watching my dive – the first ever at the stadium – there were only 1,500 people in a 17,500-person auditorium, but the noise was deafening. It was incredible.
I was really nervous as normally I have a long warm-up to get psyched up, so I decided to do one of my easier dives, my one and a half piked, which I do in synchro. I was worried that if I did one of my more complicated dives and it went wrong I might look like a tit! I was also considering doing a crazy dive bomb – I wonder what everyone would have done.
They wanted me to walk slowly up the stairs to build up as much drama as possible. As I reached the end of the board, I thought, ‘This is just a small taste of what it is going to be like next year.’ The same deafening cheers, rush of adrenalin and overwhelming excitement. I felt more motivated and focused than ever.
Then the countdown began. The noise was ear-popping.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
I was laughing as I flew through the air.
IT WAS A PERFECT DIVE.
Epilogue
On New Year’s Eve, I was out in Looe. For one night a year this sleepy Cornish town comes alive with fireworks and street parties as friends and families get dressed up in fancy dress to see in the New Year together by the seafront.
I was with my cousin Sam, Sophie and Nikita and we went dressed as 2012. As a group we are closer than ever and barely a days goes past when we don’t all hang out together. We had picked up Sophie from work at about six o’clock in my car – I passed my driving test in September – and we had driven down to the caravan site where we were spending the night and had taken ages getting our costumes ready.
We were each wearing one of the numbers – Sophie was ‘2’, I was ‘O’, Nikita was ‘1’ and Sam was the other ‘2’. We cut the shapes of the numbers from old furniture boxes and spray-painted them gold, then edged them with gold tinsel. We also painted our faces yellow and put fairy lights around our heads. There was no missing us!
As we headed out at about 9 o’clock the streets were filled with people and there wasn’t a single person who wasn’t dressed up. Tonia was there – she went with a group of friends dressed as crayons. There
were lots of Marios and people in tiger onesies. It was a brilliant atmosphere. People didn’t recognize me from far away but when they got closer they did. I didn’t even recognize myself!
Every time someone said ‘2012’ we cheered and we had loads of laughs trying to stay in formation all the time and not lose the ‘2’s. ‘Number 2, get over here.’ I kept bumping into friends from Plymouth College and everyone stopped to talk to each other. The others had a few drinks but I stuck to my Diet Coke and lemonade.
December had been a brilliant month. On the 1st, I flew to Australia for a three-week training camp with the GB team. Our Performance Director, Alexei took us there to get away from all the colds and flu in this country and to soak up some sunshine to build up our immune systems, which was ace! We were in Sydney for one week then went to Adelaide for two. We trained every day in the pool and the gym. I was working on keeping my dives as consistent and confident as possible and had quite a lot of time to relax and have fun on the beach. Outside of training I spent most of my time with Jack Laugher and Chris Mears. Pete wasn’t with us because he wanted to stay with his two young kids in the run-up to Christmas.
I did a bit of homework while I was away – I knew that after my exams in January, my focus would solely be on the Games. I have always enjoyed studying but from January onwards I would be in the pool as much as possible. Then I would be off to competitions in London, Dubai, Russia, Mexico and Holland with training camps in Plymouth, Majorca and Southend before the Olympics.
We arrived back home on Christmas Eve and I was really looking forward to seeing everyone again. We had a normal Christmas Day at my Grandma Jenny’s and then went to my Aunty Marie’s on Boxing Day. Of course I thought about Dad but we were too busy to spend ages moping and whenever we talk about him, it’s always in a positive and proud way. I try never to dwell on the fact he was taken from us too early, just the good stuff; the advice he gave me and the values he instilled in me. In some ways I feel like he’s still here, standing beside me. I know whatever I do and whatever I achieve in the future, he would be the proudest man on earth.
As the countdown started and the clock struck midnight, we were on the beach. A huge cheer went up, the fireworks started, and we had a big group hug. My heart started beating really fast as it hit me that the Olympics were this year. They were no longer next year, it was this year and I knew that would change the way I both thought and spoke about it. I felt like the time had gone so quickly, it was unreal.
I called my mum who was with Ben at her cousin Rachel’s house. I didn’t think I’d get through but I did and it felt brilliant to be able to wish her a happy New Year. My family didn’t make a big point of it being Olympics year as they don’t want to heap any unnecessary pressure on me, but I feel so excited and happy. I know I’ll have the advantage of all the support and feel like despite being four years older than I was when we went to Beijing in 2008, I know I’ve got more Olympics ahead of me. I’d love to compete in five and keep diving professionally until I am 30.
As a team we have loads of confidence. I can’t wait to savour every second of the Olympic experience: being in the village, watching the other athletes, the immense rush of adrenalin and hopefully, performing the best dives of my life.
Nothing has changed since I was eight years old and drew that picture of myself. I’m a perfectionist and I’m going for gold.
Thanks To:
My family for supporting me from the very beginning and making me feel like whatever I did, it was always great!
My friends, you are the ones that are always there and you never seem to stop making me laugh!
My fans, you are awesome! And I can’t wait to see you all in London for the Olympic Games very soon :)
My agents at Professional Sports Group: Michela Chiappa, Charlotte Hallam and Jamie Cunningham for organising my life and helping everything move forward.
Georgina Rodgers, who helped me tell my story, and thanks also to Jonathan Harris.
My editor Dan Bunyard for bringing the book to life and to Andrew Smith for designing it.
My coach Andy for keeping me in the pool and guiding me to the diver I have become today.
My dad Rob, who I will always love and never forget.
Picture Credits:
Page 1 Image courtesy of adidas © Clive Rose/Getty Images, post-production by Michel Groot; Pages 2-3, 12-13, 26-7, 30-1, 43, 62-3, 94-5, 96-7, 98, 101, 108, 147, 206-7, 222, 231, 244, 271© Andy Hooper; Pages 5-6, 8-9, 38, 83 © Andy Hooper/Daily Mail/Solo Syndication; Pages 6-7, 43 © Elise Dumontet; Pages 72-3, 187, 219, 229, 248-9, 284-5 © Jonathan Glynn-Smith; Pages 44-5, 116-17 © Daily Mail/Rex/Alamy; Pages 52-3, 80-1, 102, 106-7, 149, 156, 246 © Mirrorpix; Pages 56, 77 © Perou/Camera Press London; Page 65 © Martin Bureau/Getty Images; Pages 71, 84, 135, 158, 172-3 © Rex Features; Pages 74, 110-11, 132-3, 270 x 2 © Press Association Images; Pages 87, 136-7 © Karen Robinson/Camera Press London; Page 88 © Martin Pope/Camera Press London; Pages 115, 275 © Ben Duffy; Page 120 © Leon Neal/Getty Images; Pages 122-3 © Simon Jessop/Camera Press London; Pages 125 x 2 © Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images; Pages 138-9 © Cameron Spencer/Getty Images; Pages 141 © David Rogers/Getty Images; Pages 142, 143 © Julian Finney/Getty Images; 142 © Jeff Gross/Getty Images; Page 145 © Chen Kai/Xinhua Press/Corbis; Pages 154-5 © Visionhaus/Corbis; Pages 178-9 © Marc Giddings/The Sun; Page 180 © Adrian Sherratt/Alamy; Pages 200-1 © Bruce Weber; Pages 208-9 © Guy Levy/Comic Relief; Page 212 © Adam Pretty/Getty Images; Page 236 © Nick Wilkinson/epa/Corbis; Page 238 © Clive Rose/Getty Images; Page 239 © Feng Li/Getty Images; Pages 252-3 © Dave Rowntree; Page 264 © Vaughn Ridley/SWpix.com; Pages 272-3 © Camera Press London; Pages 281, 282 © WPA Pool/Getty Images; Endpapers © Andy Hooper, Andy Hooper/Daily Mail/Solo Syndication, Andy Hooper/Associated Newspapers/Rex Features, Mirrorpix, Jonathan Glynn-Smith, Rex Features, Ben Duffy, Simon Jessop/Camera Press London, Daily Mail/Rex/Alamy, Jeff Gross/Getty Images, Adam Pretty/Getty Images, Martin Bureau/Getty Images, WPA Pool/Getty Images, Chen Kai/Xinhua Press/Corbis, Guy Levy/Comic Relief, Dave Rowntree, Elise Dumontet.
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First published 2012
Text copyright © Tom Daley, 2012
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ISBN: 978-1-40-590950-1