London 2012 Olympics: how Tom Daley went from a talented kid to an international diving superstar In my defence, I didn't actually see him get in the pool. He was standing at back of the one-metre board crying and refusing to go on the board because he was in a strop about the dive he'd been asked to do. But when I did finally see him dive, it was obvious there was a talent there. In the early days, emotion was something he had to learn how to battle. We used a number of different strategies, 'Peter Pan" becoming one of them when he was very young. When he was in a tantrum, he had to go away and calm himself down and think happy thoughts so he could learn to fly again. Compared to teaching him to control his emotions, coaching the physical side of diving was much easier. It was obvious he had a significant talent. We have built his list with four new dives. It's taken a lot of time and effort but the results this year have been very good so far. He's performed them in five world competitions with confidence and consistency and so the Olympics will be nothing new. The only difference this time is that there will be five rings on the wall. Leon Taylor (2004 Olympic diving silver medallist and mentor to Tom In 2004, Peter Waterfield and I won silver in the 10m synchro at the Athens Olympics and afterwards we spent a lot of time visiting schools and clubs. I paid a visit to the Plymouth club on my own, and that's where I first met Tom. He was 10 years old. Tom he had only just started diving a couple of years earlier and I'd been invited to Plymouth by one his coaches, who said I was apparently Tom's hero. They also said, 'We think this young boy is so good that he is going to be the next you. I remember meeting to Tom for the first time. If I had been meeting my hero I think I would have been a bit nervous, so I wandered over to him, shook him by the hand and started asking him some questions. About two minutes into the conversation, he started asking the questions. Not just the usual questions you get from children but ones that were really making me think like, what routines I was doing on the day of my final. I immediately thought, 'Bloody hell, what's with this kid? He's only 10. I also got to see him dive for the first time in the afternoon. The coaches weren't exaggerating. He had the most potential I'd ever seen anywhere n the world in 18 years in the sport. My jaw hit the floor when I saw his raw talent. Steve Foley (British Diving performance director 2002-08) I'd been aware of Tom since he was about 10 years old, though it was not until he was about 13 that we began thinking about introducing him to senior competition. We started him in 2007 with a couple of international grand prix events. He went to the Canada Cup in 2007, when he was 13, and made the semi-final, which was pretty amazing for his age. Then, about six months later, he went to Madrid and won a medal. His rate of progress was just incredible. The following year, at the age of 14, he won the senior European Championship, won a medal at the World Cup and qualified for the Beijing Olympics, so he went from first gear to top gear in about six to 10 months. The speed of his transition exceeded all our expectations. When you are junior, there are a lot of rules and people are put in place to look after you, but my view was that once he was competing as a senior he should be treated like a senior. His dad would travel with him and stay in a nearby hotel, so Tom always had the option of going to see him, but other than that he was treated like the rest of the squad. I was trying to educate him in what it was like to be a senior athlete because if you're diving with the big boys, you have to be a big boy yourself. Tonia Couch (Olympic diver and Plymouth team-mate) Tom was probably about 2ft tall when I saw him for the first time. Very cute, but very goofy. A few years later we started travelling together to competitions and training camps, but he was still so young that we all tended to look after him. Not many children go away from home when they're just 10 or 11, so it was quite hard for him at first. He got a bit homesick but, then again, everybody did, so he didn't stand out. We made our Olympic debuts in Beijing, and I think he handled himself really well. It was nerve-racking for both of us but we both went to China determined just to enjoy the experience. I suppose Tom is like a brother to me now. I see him pretty much every day - probably more than anyone else in his life. Our five-year age difference is no longer an issue now that we're both adults. He's a very good lad. Every time we see each other we laugh all the time. Away from diving, he's very chilled and a very nice guy. There's lots of fun and banter. Although he's all grown up now, he hasn't changed that much. He's a normal, down-to-earth guy who's very loyal to his friends. He does not act like someone with such a big media profile. In fact, he never talks about his fame or anything like that. Jamie Cunningham (Tom's agent and CEO of Professional Sports Group) I first met Tom at a British Olympic Association dinner in November 2007. He was with his dad, Rob. He was only 13 and probably should not have been there. I was immediately impressed by his presence. Tom already had the aura of a major sports star. He was confident in his ability yet humble about his success. You don't always find the latter in sport. He is a credit to himself, his family and Great Britain. We signed Tom as a client just before the Beijing Olympics. It has been a fantastic journey. He is the perfect client. Bright, a good communicator and not a bad looking guy. Most importantly, he is also the youngest British world champion in any sport and is one of the best divers in the world. Having said that, it is still an early stage of his career and he will probably be at his peak in Rio in 2016. When his Rob passed away last year, it was a tough time. Rob was an inspiration. He just had a great outlook on life. Rob liked to make people smile and created the right environment for Tom to flourish. He also instilled in Tom an unbelievable work ethic, combined with a balanced outlook on life. Tom's mum, Debbie, is also a legend, who deserves her share of the credit. She has been a rock for her eldest son.