The 30-year-old won silver in the Olympic men’s synchronized 10m platform in France, after winning gold in the same event at the Tokyo Games three years prior.
“I have to make the decision at some point, and it feels like the right time. It’s the right time to call it a day,” Daley said.
Daley rose to prominence as the face of British diving after making his Olympic debut in the 2008 Beijing Games at the age of 14. He earned bronze on the 10m platform at the 2012 London Olympics and bronze in the men’s synchronized 10m platform at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Daley had practically retired following his gold medal win in Tokyo, but decided to return for a fifth Olympics in Paris to compete in front of his two children.
“It feels very, very surreal. I felt so incredibly nervous going into this, knowing it was my last Olympics. There was a lot of pressure and expectations. I was eager for it to be done. But when I walked out, and saw my husband (Lance) and kids (Robbie and Phoenix) and my friends and family in the audience, I was like, you know what? This is exactly why I did this. It was emotional at the end, up there on the platform, knowing it was going to be my last competitive dive.” he told Vogue