Daley’s husband off at deep end in buggy row
TOM Daley’s husband branded the governing body of UK swimming ‘corrupt’ yesterday amid a furious row over their young son.
Dustin Lance Black, 44, who married the top diver 20 years his junior two years ago, accused British Swimming chiefs of banning ten-month-old Robert from the poolside at a key event.
He said an ‘illness’ within the organisation was fuelling a ‘family-adverse culture’ – posting on Twitter: ‘It’s time to start treating families how other nations do: as assets, not obstacles’.
The dispute came during Daley’s gold medal win alongside partner Grace Reid, 23, in the mixed synchro contest at the World Diving Series in London on Sunday.
Oscar-winning screenwriter Mr Black and the couple’s son were not present, as he accused British Swimming of creating a ‘situation that is neither safe nor welcoming for our family’.
The row seems to centre on pram access to the poolside area at the London Aquatics Centre previously, resulting in Mr Black being ‘kicked out’. British Swimming said no buggies are allowed on the spectator concourse.
Mr Black said he was told people were complaining after he took his son in a pram into the disabled section at the Stratford venue. At first the stand-off was resolved but Daley was allegedly then told his husband and child had been ‘removed from the event’.
Mr Black told BBC Sport: ‘If I had caused a scene or said a bad word – which I did not – one of the organisers should have come to me, not go to Tom, where he had just won gold for his nation and had to compete again in one of the biggest events of his life...’ Mr Black alleged that British Swimming had ‘lied’, adding: ‘Anyone there plainly saw that our son was on my lap. This organisation is corrupt.’
British Swimming said it was ‘extremely disappointed that Tom’s husband felt that he couldn’t be at the London Aquatic Centre to support Tom yesterday’. Sources said officials were particularly angry with Mr Black’s claim that the body was ‘corrupt’ – as he had offered no evidence for this, beyond the pram argument.