Diving: Tom Daley hoping to peak just in time for Rio Olympics as he looks to improve on London 2012 bronze medal

Daley will be 22 at the Rio Games and hopes an injury-free run will see him hit his best form at the right time

Tom Daley is already making plans to hit his peak at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (GETTY IMAGES)

British diver Tom Daley is hoping to reach his peak just in time for the Rio Olympics as he looks to improve on the bronze medal he picked up at London 2012.

The 19-year-old, who has relocated to London ahead of the new season, has had an injury-plagued 2013 but wants to start on the path to Rio as he looks to come into his prime as a diver.

"Divers usually peak between the ages of 22 and 24," he told Press Association Sport.

"I will be 22 at Rio so hopefully, barring injuries, I will be okay for Rio 2016. It is always in my head because that is what people are working towards but there are so many different things before that.

"I love competing, it is what I do. It is exciting, there is a lot of hard work to put in before those, I'm hoping that it will be an injury-free year because last year was a nightmare for injuries."

The decision to move from his hometown of Plymouth was not taken lightly, with new coach Jane Figueiredo the main difference for Daley, who will now train at the aquatics centre on the Olympic Park.

Daley has also been in the public eye away from the pool over the past year, announcing in December that he was in a relationship with a man and also appearing on ITV show 'Splash!'. The show is currently airing its second series and, although Daley is enjoying his involvement, he does not let it impact on his own diving ambitions.

"The great thing about Splash is that the TV set is a diving pool so Jane comes with me every weekend and we fit in a training session on the Saturdays with my breaks from rehearsal," he added.

"Diving is my number one priority but Splash is something I find so much fun, I enjoy doing it and it isn't strenuous at all.

"Working with Jane is great. It has been so much fun, she has pushed me as much as she needs to, different ideas and new things to think about, it is always good to have a fresh set of eyes on something."

Performing well in Rio may be Daley's ultimate goal but 2014 could be a busy year for the teenager with the National Championships, World Series and Commonwealth Games all on the horizon.

 

PA