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Tom Daley claims he couldn’t have a better partner as he prepares to take a primetime cruise down the River Seine in Friday night’s Olympic opening ceremony.
Daley and rower Helen Glover will carry the British flag as the Games get under way under the shadow of Paris’ world-famous postcard landmarks.
Daley, with one gold and three bronzes from five Olympics, and Glover, a two-time gold medallist from three appearances, were popular choices to lead in Team GB.
30-year-old Daley is the first diver to get the honour and Glover the first woman rower, following Olympic icons Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent.
“I was sworn to secrecy, I was told two days ago. The first person I called was my husband Lance, because I wanted to tell him,” said Daley, who will join the Discovery+ commentary team after competing in the 10m synchro event next Monday.
“It has been really tough, we moved to America and then I decided I wanted to go back to training, and it has been hard with the travel.
“It has been a real journey. I feel really proud to have committed to going on another Olympic journey, against all odds. I really went for it, and he was so happy for me.
“My youngest son [Phoenix] won’t remember but Robbie, who has just turned six, is going to. He is very excited; he has been learning a lot about the Olympics at school and it is going to be really special to look back at photos and say they were there.
“I’m looking forward to sharing the moment with Helen too, she is such an inspiration.”
At different points in this Olympic cycle, it’s fair to say that both Daley and Glover were uncertain to be in Paris.
Glover retired after the Rio Games but had a change of heart during the pandemic, returning to the sport to become the first mother to row for Team GB.
“I called my husband Steve (Backshall), I think he was crying,” said Glover. “I called my mum who definitely cried. I haven’t spoken to my dad yet.
“It’s a pinch-me moment, because I had four years out of the sport. From Rio to Tokyo, I had retired. If it wasn’t for that ambition to come back and to prove people wrong, and to do it with kids, I’d be watching on television.
“Imagine if you’d told me in the middle of Covid when I had two newborn twins and a toddler, that if I did all of this, I’d be leading out the team as a flagbearer? I just feel like it’s something I would never have believed.”
Daley made his Olympic debut as a 14-year-old in 2008 when Glover hadn’t even taken up rowing.
He has grown up in the public eye, his father - who’d supported him during his early career - passing away with a brain tumour just 14 months before he won his first Olympic medal in London.
“My dad would not have ever believed I would be a flag bearer one day,” he added, “He always considered flag bearers to be Olympic icons and legends. I think he would be so incredibly proud of me being a flag bearer of Team GB.
“I was shown an interview I did the other day with Gabby Logan in my bedroom, I had the audacity to dream big enough to say I would still be going in 2024 and here I am.
“I took a two-year break and perspectives have shifted but it has been such a special journey and I’m incredibly proud to be one of the flagbearers with Helen. It is going to be such a special day.”
Pinsent famously carried the flag with his arm ramrod straight at the Sydney Games in 2000 - though Glover is happy to share the load with Daley.
“Maybe if my arm gets tired, I’ll let Tom do some of the heavy lifting,” she joked, “A lot of the time, when I think about my Olympic memories, I have flashpoints of thinking about the flagbearer. I remember them, I recognise them.
“It’s that moment that’s consistent with each Games. It means a lot and I’ll probably get in touch with some of the guys who have done it before and ask for any tips.”
Watch every moment of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live only on discovery+, the streaming home of the Olympics.
