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Tom Daley and Matty Lee's coach banned champions from gold medal talk

Tom Daley and Matty Lee's coach banned champions from gold medal talk
© Reuters
Tom Daley and Matty Lee starred at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on Monday.

Coach Jane Figueiredo admitted she banned new Olympic champions Tom Daley and Matty Lee from talking about winning gold.

The pair claimed a flawless victory in the synchronised 10 metres platform ahead of China and the ROC on Monday.

They won by just 1.23 points as Daley collected his third Olympic medal after winning bronze at London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Tom Daley and Matty Lee show off their gold medals
Tom Daley and Matty Lee won gold in Tokyo (Adam Davy/PA)

The duo said they visualised winning in their minds but Figueiredo was insistent they could not speak about it.

"We learned a hell of a lesson in Rio. Too much going on. Too much phone, too much media, just too much talk about winning a gold medal," she said.

"This time I said to him (Daley) I don't want to hear those words. When I coached the Russian girls we never talked about winning a gold medal, we just did it. I'm not saying it works every time but it sure as hell worked today.

"I knew they had it in them. Obviously with Tom our journey has always been about winning a gold medal. For him to actually accomplish that says more about him than it does about any of us.

"Then of course Matty Lee, his partner, who we only put together going on three years now. With Matty it's been a lot of work on him personally.

"I knew that if we could get him in the right spaces as a man, in his personal struggles and challenges, that the results would take care of themselves.

"What's that saying about your greatest failure can be your greatest successes? I didn't believe that until today. I thought that was just a cliche, who actually believes that? But people write about it and people who have gone on these journeys talk about it. I am a believer."

Figueiredo also feels Daley becoming a father to son Robbie with husband Dustin Lance Black helped his mindset.

"Having a son, I think just changed his perspective. Even if he wasn't who he is, Tom Daley, he's still going to go home and his son's going to absolutely love him," she said.

"He echoes that every day in the media, this isn't the be all and end all.

"Having that experience with the Russian girls, one who had a girl, it was amazing. Once she let that go, she won the gold medal. So you have to be able to get old enough and mature enough to let that go, whatever it is.

"Thinking 'I want to ride in that chariot and be the gold medallist' wasn't going to happen until he actually let that go."

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Tom Daley and Matty Lee pictured on May 1, 2021
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Olympic medal table header
CountryGold medalSilver MedalBronze MedalT
ChinaChina38311887
United StatesUnited States363933108
JapanJapan27121756
Olympics flagRussian Olympic Committee20262369
Great BritainGreat Britain20212263
Today's Olympic highlights header

Sunday's key events


ATHLETICS
· With the track and field action now finished, the final athletics event of the Games is the men's marathon, which includes three British representatives and world record holder Eliud Kipchoge (11pm)

CYCLING
· Laura Kenny goes for a sixth Olympic gold medal, and a second of the Tokyo Games, in the women's omnium (2am-4.25am)
· Jason Kenny also has another shot at gold on the final day of action, taking part in the men's keirin alongside compatriot Jack Carlin (2.24am-4am)

BASKETBALL
· After the men once again picked up Olympic gold, the USA women will attempt to replicate their success in the gold medal match against hosts Japan (3.30am)

VOLLEYBALL
· USA also have a chance for gold in the women's volleyball final against Brazil (5.30am)

BOXING
· Lauren Price bids to bring a successful Games to a golden close for Britain in the ring as she takes on Li Qian in the women's middleweight final (6.45am)

HANDBALL
· The women's gold medal match sees the Russian Olympic Committee take on France (7am)

WATER POLO
· The final gold medal of the Games is likely to be handed out in water polo, when Greece face Serbia in the men's gold medal match (8.30am)

CLOSING CEREMONY
· A unique and memorable Olympic Games officially comes to a close (12pm)

> Today's schedule in full
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