Tom Daley - Diving Wonderkid

With the start of the Games a week away, Team Great Britain have arrived in the Chinese capital. The diving squad were the first to practise at the city's National Aquatic Centre this week, which will host diving and swimming events. Tom Daley will be 14 years and 81 days old when he dives off the 10m platform into the pool at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, making him the youngest British Olympian since 1960 when another schoolboy Ken Lester took part in the rowing as a cox. Current European and British senior men's 10m platform champion, will compete in the 10m synchronised and individual events at the Games. Plymouth born Daley's first taste of the Olympic experience was as part of Team GB's outstandingly successful group of 106 young athletes who claimed 48 medals against elite world class opponents at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in January 2007. Tom started diving when he was seven and a large part of his young life has now been spent looking down from the intimidating height of the 10-metre board. He had been virtually assured of his place in the Olympic team since becoming the youngest person to win a European Championships in Eindhoven. Daley's 48kg body is perfectly proportioned. He has the strength to keep his body upright and straight at the critical point of entry - and big enough hands to punch a hole in the water as he slams into the pool at 30mph. And he is mature enough to voice that fear. "You're always thinking am I going to be hurt? Anything can happen in diving it's the sport of unknown. You can hit the board you can land flat, the dive's all over." The diving squad will now head west to Xi'an to train before returning for the competition, from August 8 to 24