PARIS, France — What does five-time Olympic diver Tom Daley do in his down time between winning medals? Apparently knitting incredibly intricate, professional-looking, hand-knit sweaters.
According to outlets, Daley picked up knitting as a hobby during the coronavirus pandemic, but it grew into a side show during the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics when a masked Daley was spotted in the stands knitting to pass the time while waiting for his events.
“Knitting has become my way of finding calm, mindfulness and relieves stress,” E! reported at the time. “The one thing that has kept me, like, sane throughout this whole process is my love for knitting and crocheting and all things stitching.”
He apparently kept up with the pass time and brought it back for the Paris Olympics, where he was once again spotted in the stands with knitting needles in hand while taking in the competition -- to the delight of fans.
Here it is while in progress:
On Wednesday, just days after Daley captured a silver medal, the 30-year-old shared the completed product on his Instagram profile.
The red-white-and-blue sweater features Daley's initials "T.D." on one arm and the number five on the other, representing the five Olympic Games Daley has participated in, starting in the 2008 Beijing Summer Games. It's also decorated with Union Jack and French flags around the hem of the sweater with his last name emblazoned across the back. An Eiffel Tower knitted onto the front representing the "A" in Paris, gives a nod to where the Summer Games are being held.
Take a look:
"It's comfy. It's far too hot to be wearing in Paris," Daley admitted in the video, before adding that it makes a nice souvenir after. "It's always so fun to be able to have this as a memory of my time here in Paris."
Daley and diving partner Matty Lee both won silver Monday in the 10-meter synchronized platform event, placing behind China. The pair won gold in the same event during the Tokyo Games.
Photos: Tom Daley through the years
Daley had planned to retire after the Tokyo Games, but a trip to U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs inspired him to return for one more Olympics. ESPN reported his then-5-year-old son Robbie asked if would dive again so he could see him do it.
With his husband, Dustin Lance Black, and their two young sons, Robbie and Phoenix, cheering him on from the stands, Daley added to a medal haul that now includes one gold, one silver and three bronzes.
"To be able to dive in front of my kids and my family, that was really special. An experience I will never forget," Daley said after winning his silver medal, ESPN reported.
Daley is apparently not ruling out a sixth Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles. He noted that he now lives in Los Angeles, the site of the next Summer Games.
“It would be my second home Olympics Games,” Daley said with a smile, referencing London in 2012. “For now, I just want to enjoy this moment.”
Material from the Associated Press contributed to this report.
