Tom Daley

20 points, Zhou Luxin on 530.55. In the synchonised dive, Daley with new partner Max Brick finished nineth.

Plymouth born Daley’s first taste of the Olympic experience was as part of Team GB’s outstandingly successful group of 106 young athletes who claimed 48 medals against elite world class opponents at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in January 2007. Despite requiring special dispensation to be allowed to compete at the Youth Olympics because he was two years below the minimum age requirement of 14, Daley went home with a silver medal in the 10m platform synchro event and finished fourth in the individual competition.

Daley really shot to fame when he was crowned BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year at a glitzy awards ceremony in Birmingham in December 2007.

Daley’s progression in 2008 has been phenomenal. He qualified for the Beijing Olympic Games in February at the FINA World Cup in Beijing’s ‘Water Cube’ arena. Requiring a top eight finish to achieved automatic Olympic pre-selection, he placed seventh in the men’s individual 10m platform event.

A month later in March he claimed the European Men's 10m Platform Individual title in Eindhoven at the age of 13, becoming Britain's youngest diving gold medallist in the process. He overcame the challenge of both the current World Champion and World Cup Champion to take gold, following flawless dives in rounds four and five of the competition which earned him top scores from the judges.

Daley’s mentor, Athens 2004 Olympic silver medallist Leon Taylor, was forced to announce his retirement due to injury in June, clearing the path for Daley and partner Blake Aldridge to fill Team GB’s Olympic quota place in the 10m platform synchronised competition, which they had secured at the Beijing World Cup in March. 

Daley has recently met Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the launch of the 2012 Legacy Plan and Daley himself admits that although competing in Beijing in front of a fiercely passionate home crowd will be a great experience his ultimate ambition is a gold medal in front of a home crowd at the London 2012 Olympic Games.