Olympic diving champion Matty Lee announces retirement aged 26

Lee won gold alongside Tom Daley at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Lee won Olympic gold in Tokyo (Getty Images)

Olympic diver Matty Lee, who won a memorable gold medal alongside Tom Daley at Tokyo 2020, has retired from the sport at the age of 26.

Lee and Daley won gold in the men’s synchronised 10m platform, a result that ended Daley’s long wait for gold in what was Lee’s first Olympics.

The Leeds-born Lee missed last year’s Olympics in Paris due to struggles with a back injury, following an operation on his spine.

He confirmed his retirement from diving in a post on Instagram and said of his gold medal alongside Daley: “What a journey, what a moment we shared. Olympic champions forever."

“After 20 years in the sport, it’s time for me to step away from diving,” Lee said.

“This decision hasn’t been easy, but after losing my dad in 2022, I struggled to find the same passion I once had, he was my why.

“Then came injuries, surgeries, and the realization that I don’t want to be a broken man moving forward.”

Alongside a series of photos from his diving career, which also included medals at the Commonwealth Games and World Championships, Lee added: “What's next? Honestly, I don't know. And that's both terrifying and exciting.

“But I do know this, there's more to life than diving, and I'm ready for it.”