Tom Daley opens the door to competing at a record sixth Olympics in Los Angeles… as the Team GB star reveals how his children inspired a return at Paris 2024

Tom Daley has opened the door to diving at a record sixth Olympics in Los Angeles as he finalises his preparations for his fifth Games in Paris next week.

The Team GB star made his Olympic debut aged 14 at Beijing 2008 and won bronze medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016, before finally landing gold at Tokyo 2020.

Daley decided to retire after that triumph but returned to the sport so he could dive in front of his two children at Paris 2024.

Now he has suggested he could extend his career by another four years and compete in LA – where he lives – when he will be 34, having been encouraged by the prospect of a mixed team event being added to the programme.

‘I had it in my mind that I wanted to go to five Olympic Games but I never thought it would actually be possible,’ said Daley.

Daley, left, will compete with Noah Williams in the 10m synchronised platform event in Paris

The diving star has now opened the door to competing at a sixth Olympics in Los Angeles

‘I don’t know about six, but I also said that the last time and here I am back. They also might be adding an event into the ‘28 Games in the mixed team, so who knows.’

Asked if Daley could carry on to LA28, his coach Jane Figueiredo admitted: ‘Of course he could. I believe in him.

‘My hope is that they will add a team event. Whether that involves Tom or not, I’ll leave that for the time when it comes.’

Daley performed a retirement U-turn last year after a visit to the Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs with his husband Lance and sons Robbie and Phoenix.

The 30-year-old explained: ‘There was this video of what it means to be an Olympian. By the end of it, I was crying and Robbie turned to me and asked, “What’s the matter, Pop?”.

‘I just said, “I miss diving and I miss the Olympics”. Lance looked at me and was like, “Oh no – I know what this means”.

‘But then Robbie said, “Pop, I want to see you dive in the Olympics” and that was that.

‘I’m so excited to be diving in front of my kids. I have already won an Olympic gold medal, so for me the Olympic gold medal this time is having my kids there to watch.’

The 30-year-old admitted his return to the pool had in part been prompted by his wish to compete in front of his son Robbie (pictured alongside husband Dustin Lance Black)

Daley and Black have two children: Robbie (left), 6, and one-year-old son Phoenix (right)

Daley will be hoping to add to his four Olympic medals when competing in Paris with Williams

Daley is not competing in the individual 10m platform in Paris and is instead solely focusing on the synchronised event – which he won in Tokyo – alongside Noah Williams on July 29.

‘Of course, I want to win another medal,’ he added. ‘Anyone who says they don’t want to win would be lying to you.

‘But we just have to take it one step at a time and do what we can to the best of our ability.

‘My body does feel very different now going into these Games. I wake up a lot more sore. It takes a lot more for me to warm-up.

‘But when I’m diving, the dives look good. I don’t feel I can do dive after dive, which is why I just did the synchro. I knew if I did one event I could put all my energy into that.’