Olympic gold medallist Matty Lee announces retirement from diving at 26 - 'I don't want to be a broken man'

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Olympic gold medallist Matty Lee has retired at the age of 26. Lee won a memorable gold medal alongside Tom Daley at Tokyo 2020, but leaves the sport following injuries and the passing away of his father, which left him struggling to "find the same passion I once had". The Leeds-born diver was forced to miss the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after having surgery on his spine last year.

Olympic Memories: Daley and Lee clinch glory in 10m synchronised gold in Tokyo

Video credit: TNT Sports

Olympic diver Matty Lee, who won a gold medal at Tokyo 2020, has announced his retirement at the age of 26.

Lee famously won gold alongside Tom Daley in the men's synchronised 10m platform in Tokyo. The Leeds-born diver then missed the Paris Olympics after having surgery on his spine.

The three-time world medallist also had to contend with the loss of his father in 2022, two years before undergoing a discectomy to remove a disc in his back.

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He confirmed his retirement from the sport in an Instagram post on Thursday and said: "After 20 years in the sport, it's time for me to step away from diving.

"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."

'Take a bow!' - Daley and Lee 'nail it' with final dive to win gold

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Alongside Noah Williams, he won Commonwealth gold and added a second world silver medal to his collection in Budapest.

In addition to their Olympic gold, Lee and Daley claimed World Cup and European gold in 2021 and a bronze at the World Championships in 2019.

He paid tribute to his Olympic partner, saying: "What a journey, what a moment we shared. Olympic champions forever."

Lee thanked his coaches and staff members throughout his career, and was grateful to his fans for their "unwavering support".

"What’s next? Honestly, I don’t know," admitted Lee. "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."

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