Noah Williams says Tom Daley “has transcended diving”, following the five-time Olympic medallist’s decision to retire from the sport.
Williams, 24, won a silver medal alongside 30-year-old Daley in the men’s synchronised 10m platform in Paris last month.
Daley first competed in the 2008 Games at the age of 14 and won bronze in London 2012 and in Tokyo in 2021 in the 10m platform, as well as bronze in the men’s synchronised 10m platform in Rio 2016.
“He is literally an icon of the Olympics for Team GB,” Williams told 5 Live Breakfast.
Daley took two years out of diving following the Tokyo Olympics but he was persuaded to return to the pool by his son Robbie, now aged six.
He has been a vocal supporter for LGBTQ+ rights in sport and at the Commonwealth Games in 2022, Daley used his influence to highlight the difficulties openly gay athletes from countries where homosexuality is illegal face.
“He’s a massive activist for the gay community; he helps so many communities massively and has inspired so many people to take up not just diving, but sport in general,” said Williams.
“He is the one person who has transcended diving in my opinion.
“I will miss him in training but I’m sure everyone will miss him competing and being around.”
‘I’m not far off being too old to dive’
Williams arrived home from Paris with two medals: his silver with Daley and an individual bronze in the men’s 10m platform.
As for what the future holds for the British diver, he says he will be taking some time to figure out his plans.
“The next six months are going to be a lot more chilled,” he said. “Well, I say chilled, I’m still doing a lot of fitness and activity, but less diving, because I’m not sure what I’m going to do, is the truth.
“I don’t wan’t to dive just because I’m good at it, because it does take a lot of mental energy, a big toll on you.
“I don’t want to complain and say travelling because I love travelling and competing, but being away from family and friends a lot of the year, that stuff is genuinely quite hard.”
With the next Olympic Games taking place in Los Angeles in 2028, Williams says he is also assessing whether age may play a factor in his decision to go through another Olympic cycle.
“I saw a lot of people saying, ‘Tom’s retiring? But he’s only 30’, but I don’t think they realise that 30 is actually old in the world of diving, he said.
“That why, when he took two years out after Tokyo, no-one was particularly shocked.
“Even though I’m 24, I’m not far off being too old to dive – which seems crazy.”
