+17Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee Diving - Olympics: Day 3
Thomas Daley and Matthew Lee of Team Great Britain pose for photographers with their gold medals after winning the Men's Synchronised 10m Platform Final on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 26, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee Diving - Olympics: Day 3
Gold medallists Britain's Thomas Daley (L) and Britain's Matty Lee react after wining to take gold in the men's synchronised 10m platform diving final event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on July 26, 2021. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee Diving - Olympics: Day 3
Tom Daley of Team Great Britain poses with the gold medal during the medal presentation for the Men's Synchronised 10m Platform Final on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 26, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee Diving - Olympics: Day 3
Gold medallists Britain's Thomas Daley (L) an Britain's Matty Lee stand on podium before receiving medals, after wining the men's synchronised 10m platform diving final event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on July 26, 2021. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee Diving - Olympics: Day 3
Gold medallists Britain's Thomas Daley (L) and Britain's Matty Lee poses with their medals after wining the men's synchronised 10m platform diving final event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on July 26, 2021. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee Diving - Olympics: Day 3
Gold medallists Britain's Thomas Daley (L) and Britain's Matty Lee poses with their medals after wining the men's synchronised 10m platform diving final event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on July 26, 2021. (Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee Diving - Olympics: Day 3
Matty Lee and Thomas Daley of Team Great Britain pose with their gold medals during the medal presentation for the Men's Synchronised 10m Platform Final on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 26, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee Diving - Olympics: Day 3
Gold medallists Britain's Thomas Daley (L) and Britain's Matty Lee poses with their medals after wining the men's synchronised 10m platform diving final event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on July 26, 2021.(Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee Diving - Olympics: Day 3
Matty Lee and Thomas Daley of Team Great Britain pose with their gold medals during the medal presentation for the Men's Synchronised 10m Platform Final on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 26, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee Diving - Olympics: Day 3
Tom Daley and Matty Lee of Team Great Britain celebrate after their final dive during the Men's Synchronised 10m Platform Final on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 26, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee Diving - Olympics: Day 3
Britain's Thomas Daley and Britain's Matty Lee compete to take gold in the men's synchronised 10m platform diving final event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on July 26, 2021. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Olympic gold for men’s synchronized 10m platform — PHOTOS
Tom Daley and Matty Lee Diving - Olympics: Day 3
Britain's Thomas Daley and Britain's Matty Lee compete to win and take gold in the men's synchronised 10m platform diving final event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on July 26, 2021. (Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Tom Daley ended his long wait for an Olympic gold medal with an amazing performance alongside Matty Lee in a nerve-filled men’s synchronized 10m platform event at Tokyo 2020.
In a nail-biting finale, the British pair watched on as Cao Yuan and Chen Aisen conducted their final dive and broke into wild celebrations when it became clear they had ended China’s golden grip on the event, dating back to 2000.
For Daley – now 27 – it marks a first gold medal at his fourth Olympic Games and he wept with joy on the podium, while Lee – four years his junior – can contemplate gold at the first time of asking.
“I still can’t honestly believe what is happening,” Daley said. “That moment, being about to be announced as Olympic champions, I was gone. I was blubbering.”
The pair dived impeccably throughout, moving top of the leaderboard after four dives, before going on to expertly handle nerves and pressure in their final two routines.
The British duo’s total score of 471.81 left China’s Cao and Chen with too much to do and when their tally of 470.58 appeared on the giant screen, Daley, Lee, their coaches and a score of team-mates could not hide their emotions.
The medal marks Tom Daley’s first, 13 years after he debuted at the Beijing Olympics. This was Lee’s first appearance at the Olympics.
Enjoy more photos of Tom Daley and Matty Lee by launching the gallery above.
