Tom Daley will become the first British diver to compete at five Olympic Games after he was among eight athletes to be named to Team GB for Paris 2024.
With Aquatics GB divers having qualified a full set of Games quota spots across the past two World Aquatics Championships, it means Team GB will again be contesting all four synchro events – the Men’s and Women’s 3m Springboard Synchro and the Men’s and Women’s 10m Platform Synchro.
Daley and Noah Williams booked a quota spot for Great Britain with silver in the Men’s 10m Platform Synchro at the World Championships in Doha in February.
The pair have now been confirmed for the competition in the French capital with the diving programme running from 27 July to 10 August at the Aquatics Centre.
The duo only made their competitive debut as a partnership at the British National Cup in Edinburgh in December 2023.
That followed Daley’s return to the sport in July last year after two years away from the diving pit.
Daley made his Olympic debut at Beijing 2008 followed by appearances at London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
The 29-year-old has won four Olympic medals including gold with Matty Lee in the 10m Platform Synchro and bronze in the individual event in Tokyo, five years after bronze with Daniel Goodfellow in Rio.
He also claimed bronze in the 10m Platform at a home Games at London 2012.
Paris will be Williams’ second Olympics following his debut in Tokyo with the 23-year-old having claimed the 2022 Commonwealth title with Lee to add his World and European silverware.
Daley won his first national medal in 2005 with bronze in the 10m Platform and he has been in the spotlight ever since.
Williams spoke glowingly about his diving partner, saying: “Nobody else in the world could take two years out and then come back and be as good as he is.
“That’s insanely good anyway.”
He added: “I love Tom, he’s a funny guy!
“I like him a lot, we get on. That also a main thing, isn’t it? There’s no point doing these competitions and so far we’ve got a few medals together.
“There’s no point in doing that if I don’t like the person I am next to.
“I want to enjoy it: I am not going to be able to dive forever. My body is already hurt so I don’t know how he is doing this.”
Jack Laugher will compete at his fourth Olympics, 12 years after his debut at London 2012.
He won gold alongside Chris Mears at Rio 2016 in the Men’s 3m Synchro as well as claiming individual silver in the 3m Springboard.
The 29-year-old followed that up with bronze in the 3m Springboard in Tokyo five years later and has consistently won silverware on the World, European and Commonwealth stage.
He and partner Anthony Harding – who will be making his Games debut – have won two World silvers as well as the European title at Rome 2022.
Laugher said: “It’s been a long time. I’m sat at the London Aquatics Centre right now, and then this will be my fourth Olympics in Paris. It’s not what I thought was going to happen when I was a kid, but I’m so glad I’m here!
“It’s a massive testament to myself but also the people I have around me, the teams, the people who work hard to keep me in shape, my coaches and everyone to get me in the best quality I can be in to go to another Olympic Games – and hopefully hit hard.”
In the Women’s 10m Synchro, Lois Toulson – who is heading to her third Olympics – and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix will combine off the back of historic podium finishes at the last two World Championships, a statistic matched by Women’s 3m Synchro pairing Yasmin Harper – on her Olympic debut – and Scarlett Mew Jensen.
Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England said: “Congratulations to the first eight divers selected to Team GB for Paris 2024. All four pairs have proven that they can challenge for podium places on the world stage, and it is fantastic to see the calibre of diving athletes getting stronger and stronger with each Games.
“There is also a fantastic mix of youth and experience within the squad, and I am delighted to welcome Olympic champions Jack and Tom back to Team GB for a fourth and fifth Games respectively.
“Congratulations to Tom in particular who becomes the first British diver to compete at five Olympic Games, a remarkable achievement.”
Speaking on the first eight divers selected to this Team GB diving team, Aquatics GB Associate Performance Director Tim Jones said: “It is also testament to this programme, and the ongoing support of key stakeholders Team GB, UK Sport and The National Lottery, that this team includes Tom Daley heading to his fifth Olympics, Jack Laugher preparing for his fourth and Lois Toulson gearing up for her third Games – this is impressive longevity in any sport, but particularly one as demanding as diving.
“Equally, it is always exciting to see athletes building up to their Olympic debut, and we are looking forward to seeing Yasmin Harper and Anthony Harding make those hard-earned bows in Paris.”
Reflecting on the ongoing successes of this group of athletes, Aquatics GB Diving Head Coach Alexei Evangulov added: “At two consecutive World Championships, we have seen our pairs confidently take places on the podium.
“As well as that, for the first time in our history, our female synchro pairs won World Championship medals in 2023 – and they did so again at the Worlds earlier this year. This success across the pairings has continued at the World Aquatics Diving World Cup series, taking place over the past two months.”
Team GB Synchronised Diving Athletes:
Yasmin Harper (Sheffield Diving Club) and Scarlett Mew Jensen (British Diving Performance Centre London) – Women’s 3m Synchro
Anthony Harding (British Diving Performance Centre Leeds) and Jack Laugher (British Diving Performance Centre Leeds) – Men’s 3m Synchro
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix (British Diving Performance Centre London) and Lois Toulson (British Diving Performance Centre Leeds) – Women’s 10m Synchro
Tom Daley (British Diving Performance Centre London / UCLA) and Noah Williams (British Diving Performance Centre London) – Men’s 10m Synchro
