Tom Daley, 18, fulfilled his dream of winning an Olympic medal when he clinched bronze in the individual 10m platform final in London 2012 this evening. Tom is the second Plymouth College pupil to win an Olympic medal after Ruta Meilutyte, 15, sensationally won gold in the 100m breaststroke last week.
Tom had a shaky start to his individual Olympic campaign, qualifying in 15th place for the semi-final. However, he got himself back on track to make it through to the final in 4th place. After the drama of his first dive, which saw him distracted by a myriad of flash bulbs and so was allowed to repeat the dive, Tom delivered some solid dives and found himself in first place going into the sixth round. But the last higher tariff dives of eventual winner, David Boudia and silver medallist, Qiu Bo, were too strong and Tom had to settle for bronze.
Earlier this year, Plymouth College found itself in the unique position of having four pupils qualify for the 2012 Games. As well as GB star, Tom, and Lithuanian sensation, Ruta, the school was also cheering on Jade Howard for Zambia and Jamila Lunkuse for Uganda who both swam personal bests. The three girls are on the school’s swimming scholarship programme run in partnership with top club, Plymouth Leander, while Tom benefits from being part of the wider elite athlete family that includes modern pentathletes, fencers and rugby players to name just a few.
Forming 12 % of the school community, Plymouth College’s top athletes benefit from a wide support network and flexible study framework so that they can do the best they can both in the class room and in their sport. Coaches, teachers and welfare staff work together to ensure that the athletes’ needs are met physically and psychologically. They are provided with top-level training, first-rate academic support and extensive advice on well-being issues such as nutrition and stress management.
“We are incredibly proud of Tom”, said Plymouth College Headmaster, Dr Simon Wormleighton. “We had a large gathering at school to watch the final and to see him win an Olympic medal was fantastic. The smile on Tom’s face said it all. The atmosphere in the room was electric and the cheers at the end were deafening! It is still sinking in that we will have two pupils returning to school in September with Olympic medals.
“Our aim at Plymouth College is to inspire all our pupils to do the best they can whether their talents lie in the sports arena, in the classroom, on the stage or something completely different and regardless of whether they are at the top of their game or new to an activity. All four of our Olympians have embraced that ethos and I am delighted that the school has played a part in helping them to achieve their goals in London 2012.”