Daley driven by China rivalry
Aisen, who lost to Daley in Budapest.
And Daley, 23, admitted collecting the award here was extra special.
“It’s a massive honor to be recognized by FINA and all the male divers in the world, especially here in China where diving is so beloved,” said Daley, who also won a silver in the mixed 3m synchro with Grace Reid in Budapest.
“It’s so nice to be here in a country where diving is a big sport. China is a country so supportive of diving. It’s so great to bring home a trophy from here.”
Born in the southern English coastal city of Plymouth, Daley began diving aged seven after his talent was spotted by a local club.
As a 14-year-old, he emerged on the world stage as Britain’s youngest competitor at the 2008 Beijing Olympics before shooting to superstardom in the UK by winning a bronze medal at London 2012.
However, at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Daley suffered a major blow as he crashed out in the semifinals after placing first in the preliminary round.
“I wanted vengeance because after the Olympics I was disappointed,” Daley said of his motivation to come back strong this year.
“So I worked really hard and I was really happy to come away with the gold medal (in Hungary).”
Out of the pool, things are also going swimmingly for Daley. In May, he married Dustin Lance Black, an American screenwriter and film producer, having announced he was in a same-sex relationship in 2013.
Black accompanied Daley in Sanya, with the happy couple receiving a warm welcome from fans. From now on, though, the focus for Daley is the Tokyo 2020 Games.
“Looking forward, I just want to work as hard as I possibly can to come to the point where in 2020 I am still in peak condition,” he said.