Noah Williams was just 12 years old when he saw Tom Daley – the youthful 18-year-old star of London 2012 – secure a remarkable bronze in the 10m platform dive. He reflects now that he never imagined 12 years later he would be preparing to team up with Daley in the synchronized 10m platform at Paris 2024, although he always believed he would become an Olympian.
“I was a bit unrealistic as a kid, thinking making the Olympics would be easy,” the 24-year-old admits with a wry smile. “I believe that mindset helped me; had I known just how distant the Olympics seemed and how hard I would need to work to reach my current level, I might have given up. I considered myself close to making it, despite being far from it.”
On Monday, Williams will take the platform alongside Daley for the synchro dive, with the more experienced diver counting their dive numbers. Their partnership began in November after Matty Lee – Daley’s gold medal partner from Tokyo 2020 and Williams’s usual partner – had to withdraw due to injury. Since then, the two have been training separately as Daley currently resides in the United States.
Competing individually in the 10m platform as well, Williams credits Daley for enhancing his diving skills since they began working together. “He’s better than I am,” he states candidly. “So when I train with him, I’m striving to reach his level.” He also expresses gratitude towards Lee, his great friend with whom he shares matching tattoos, and is genuinely happy that the 26-year-old will be there to support him in Paris. “He’ll be up there on the board, cheering for me,” he adds.
Williams is humorously self-deprecating and briefly attributes his presence in Paris to the sport’s niche nature, yet when he discusses the thrill of competition, it’s evident he possesses the quintessential Olympic mix of talent, ambition, and relentless determination.
“Executing a good dive in competition feels amazing,” he shares. “When you land dives and score nines or tens, that’s the pinnacle for divers, especially in competitions. While it’s satisfying to nail a dive in training, nothing compares to performing under pressure with only one chance.”
Tom Daley and Noah Williams will join forces in the synchronized 10m platform. Photograph: John Walton/PA
Leading up to Paris, Williams is on strong form. In February, he and Daley secured silver medals at the world championships in Doha, complementing the silver he won with Lee in 2022. He also became a double gold medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, clinching gold in both the men’s synchro platform with Lee and the mixed synchro platform with Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix.
Reflecting on his first Olympic experience in Tokyo 2020, where he finished 27th, Williams feels he has something to prove. “Tokyo was dull; there was no audience, and I performed terribly, making it hard to get motivated because I simply didn’t care,” he expresses. “That’s disappointing since I genuinely enjoy competitions, but with no crowd, it felt insignificant. This time, there will be spectators, making it much more enjoyable.”
Does he believe the crowds in Paris will boost his performance? “If I had performed well in Tokyo, I’d probably claim it didn’t matter,” he jokes. “But since I didn’t, I hope it does.”
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A Hackney native, Williams began gymnastics with his mother as a toddler and took up diving at nine after discovering a leaflet for the Crystal Palace Diving Club. He attributes his opportunity to compete at Paris 2024 to the sacrifices made by his parents.
“There were years when my dad couldn’t work because he had to take me from school to training, and we weren’t well-off,” he shares. “I’m immensely grateful for their sacrifices, and I hope to repay them by excelling in my sport.”
When discussing life post-Paris 2024, he mentions plans to participate in the London Marathon and take a holiday. However, he acknowledges that diving offers little financial reward, with medalists receiving no prize money and funding in Great Britain amounting to £28,000 primarily thanks to the National Lottery.
“I need to sort out my life eventually,” he chuckles. “Once this is done, I’ll have to figure things out. Walking into a bank to say, ‘I can jump off high boards and splash into water’ won’t get me far.”
