Daley hopes he can spark ‘firework’ in time for Rio

TOM Daley admits his new “firework” dive may not be perfected in time for this summer’s World Championships but insists he will not mind as long as it lights up Rio and delivers Olympic gold next year.

The London 2012 bronze medallist ditched his troublesome “demon” twister dive at the end of last season and, together with new coach Jane Figueiredo, has been working on a fresh move that has never been attempted before in his tenmetre platform event.

The “firework”, formally known as a front three-and-ahalf-somersault with one twist, will be put under the spotlight at the World Championships in July but Daley maintains it is next year’s Olympics where he hopes to really put on a show.

“The World Championships is ideally where I want to have it nailed and ready to go,” said Daley. “But at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what happens at the World Championships, it doesn’t matter what happens at the European Championships and it doesn’t matter what happens at the National Championships. When you’re standing on the end of the board at an Olympic final, that’s when it matters because you have six dives.

“Out of all the thousands of dives you’ve done in training sessions and your life, it comes down to making each of those six dives the best dives you can.

“If you mess up there, that’s it, it’s as high pressure as that. You make it or you break it.”

Early testing of the new dive has been encouraging but not without teething problems.

Daley won his fifth gold medal at the British Championships in February but a month later, failed to qualify for the World Series final at the competition’s first leg in Beijing. The 20-year-old bounced back to win silver in Dubai but despite recording the second best single score at the third leg in Kazan, he paid the price for a poor attempt early on and finished fifth.

The fourth event comes to the London Aquatics Centre in Stratford this weekend and Daley admits he is still striving for consistency.

“The new dive is the baby in the grand scheme of things and it’s going to be for a long time,” Daley said. “But the more I’m competing with it, the more consistent it’s getting and it’s already scoring more than my old twisting dive.”

Rumours he was ready to retire last year to take up a media career have proved unfounded and Daley insists he is as determined as ever to succeed.

“I’m as in love with the sport as I’ve ever been. Diving is definitely the number one,” Daley said.

“Gold in Rio is my ultimate dream. I’ve always wanted to win an Olympic gold medal.”