British swimmer Tom Daley, the Olympic gold medalist, caused a stir among Olympic TV viewers watching the women’s 3m springboard final on Sunday morning, when the cameras panned to the spectator stands and caught Tom watching the action while knitting.
Social media was deluged with images of the 27-year-old, wearing his Team GB kit and obligatory mask, wielding needles and purple wool in the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
The moment came ahead of the third round of dives, shortly after China’s Shi Tingmao completed her second dive, cementing her lead. No British divers were competing.
Read More – German gymnasts wear full-body suits at Olympics to promote freedom of choice
“The one thing that has kept me sane throughout this whole process is my love for knitting and crochet and all things stitching,” Daley said in a video posted to his knitting and crochet account.
He also made a little medal case to prevent it from any scratches. The pouch is emblazoned with the Union Jack on one side and the Japanese flag on the other.
The British diver, who won his first Olympic gold alongside Matty Lee in the synchronised 10m platform event last Monday, has called knitting “his secret weapon”.
