Tom Daley has taken his last dive in an Olympic pool.
The British diver, who recently won a silver medal in Paris, announced his retirement in an interview with British Vogue published Aug. 12.
“It’s the right time to call it a day,” he said of the decision.
Daley recalled the emotions he experienced during his final diving event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It was emotional at the end, up there on the platform, knowing it was going to be my last competitive dive,” he told British Vogue. “But I have to make the decision at some point, and it feels like the right time.”
Daley said he felt “a lot of pressure and expectation” going into the competition, but when he saw his family, he recalled feeling at peace with his decision.
“I was eager for it to be done… but when I walked out, and saw my husband and kids and my friends and family in the audience, I was like, you know what? This is exactly why I did this,” he said. “I’m here, and no matter what happens in the competition itself, I’m going to be happy.”
In an interview with the BBC published on Aug. 12, he also talked about making the call to retire.
“It’s always hard when you say goodbye to your sport. Lots of things to process, but I think it’s the right time,” Daley told the outlet. “This year felt like such a bonus and I got to compete in front of my family, my kids. I got to be flagbearer. So yeah, bucket list ticked off on every occasion.”
The beloved Olympian said he plans to spend time with his family now that he’s back from Paris. Daley’s husband, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, 50, and his sons, Robbie, 6, and Phoenix, 1, were in France to cheer him on in person.
The diver has also become a sensation away from the pool, whether it’s his fashion, his advocacy for the LGBTQ community, his kids cheering him on, his knitting skills he calls a “superpower” or his viral TikTok videos.
Daley finished his Olympic career with five medals across five Olympic Games. He became the second youngest Olympian in British history when he made his debut at 14 years old in Beijing in 2008.
He won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics in his home country, then added another bronze medal in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Daley and Matty Lee won gold in the 10-meter synchronized diving competition, and he also added a third bronze to his collection in the 10-meter platform event.
Daley capped his Olympic career with a silver medal in Paris in the men’s synchronized 10-meter platform event alongside Noah Williams. He has the most Olympic medals of any diver in British history, according to Team Great Britain.
“I would love for people to remember me for being a person that persevered, who persisted and didn’t give up on his dream until he was able to achieve it,” he told British Vogue. “To currently be Britain’s most decorated diver… I feel so incredibly proud. When I look back, I’m really, genuinely satisfied with what I’ve done.”
This story was originally published on TODAY.com