Tom Daley Showed Off The Adorable Cardigan He Knit During The Olympics
Wait, this is so cute!
If Tom Daley knitting in the stands wasn’t the cutest thing ever, what he was actually knitting is even more adorable. ICYMI, the British diver and Olympic gold medalist was spotted knitting while sitting in the bleachers during the Olympic games, and now fans got a look at one of his gorg end products. Yep, Tom Daley knit an Olympics cardigan during the games, and it shows off just how multi-talented the diver is.
Pics of Daley knitting in the stands broke the internet after he showed up to the women’s three-meter springboard diving final as a spectator on Aug. 1 with a pair of knitting needles and yarn. He’s been open about showing off his skills since he started knitting during the COVID-19 pandemic, and even has an entire Instagram account dedicated to his designs — @madewithlovebytomdaley. However, the pics of the Olympic diver knitting in the stands sparked the feels for a lot of fans after his gold medal win in the men’s synchronized 10-meter platform event.
On Thursday, Aug. 5, Daley posted a thread showing off the incredible cardigan he knitted while at the games. “MY OLYMPIC CARDIGAN! JPGB,” he wrote alongside a thread of photos, which show him modeling the impressive threads. “When I got to Tokyo, I wanted to make something that would remind me of the Olympics to look back on in the future. I designed a pattern for the colour work that would signify everything about these games!”
He continued to describe the design, writing, “On the back I went for a classic @teamgb logo, the shoulders have a flag and GBR on them. For the front I wanted to keep it simple and I tried my best to embroider TOKYO in Japanese!”
Daley didn’t even mean to, but he became an iconic image of the 2021 Summer Olympics for his knitting, and the hobby also helped him keep himself calm and focused.
“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 an Instagram video on July 26, which showed off a Union Jack-patterned pouch that he made for his Olympic gold medal. The opposite side of the pouch also features Japan’s flag.
Obviously, there was a lot of pressure during the Olympic games, especially considering the games have been highly scrutinized due to the current state of emergency in Tokyo, the recent increase in cases, and Japan’s low vaccination rates.
Daley formerly competed in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, after first qualifying to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics at 14 years old. After his gold medal win, his speech touched on accomplishing anything as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. “I hope that any young LGBT person out there can see no matter how alone you feel right now, you are not alone and that you can achieve anything,” he said. He added, “I am incredibly proud to say that I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion. I feel very empowered by that.”
As Daley continues to earn recognition for his athleticism, his knitting is also a true inspiration — and arguably one of the best sights of the entire Olympic games.
