Noah Williams wins BRONZE in men's 10m platform final in stunning performance - after claiming silver with Tom Daley in synchronised event

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Noah Williams says the 10-metre platform is his happy place - and never has it brought him more joy than it did yesterday.

The 24-year-old is on antidepressants and admits he is ‘sad a lot of the time’. Diving, though, is his ‘form of therapy’ and he is also pretty damn good at it, with two Olympic medals now to his name.

Having claimed a silver in the 10m synchro with Tom Daley last week, William only snuck into yesterday’s individual final by 0.25 points, as the 12th of 12 qualifiers.

For most of the final itself, he looked out of medal contention, placing sixth after two dives and fifth after four when he over-rotated.

But Williams produced two stunning final routines – scoring 90-plus points with each – to secure a brilliant bronze medal and give him another reason to smile despite his troubles.

Noah Williams produced a remarkable comeback to claim bronze in the men's 10m platform 

The 24-year-old had been fifth with two dives to go but held his nerve to claim a podium spot

This is Team GB's fifth diving medal of the Games - only China have done better off the board

‘I have struggled with my mental health for a long time,’ he candidly admitted afterwards. ‘I have been on antidepressants for a few years.

‘I am just sad quite a lot of the time, but that doesn’t stop me from getting up and training because one of the only times that I’m not sad is when I am competing.

‘I was happy during this event and during the synchro and that is I why I am here. Competing is my form of therapy.’

Williams has had a rough time since making his Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2021, and not just because of his mental health. Two months after those Games, he lost his coach Dave Jenkins, who was found dead in a swimming pool in Turkey aged 31 following a cardiac arrest.

‘This medal is so special for that reason, for Dave,’ said the rising Team GB star. ‘100 per cent, I dedicate this to him.’

Williams had little expectation of adding to his medal tally in this event, even before his poor semi-final showing. But he was aided by a disastrous performance from Chinese world champion Hao Yang, who finished last.

Yuan Cao succeeded where his team-mate failed, comfortably defending his title to ensure China completed a clean sweep of the diving events here in Paris. Rikuto Tamai of Japan took the silver with Williams, the first diver in the competition, securing bronze after a nervous wait.

It was Team GB’s fifth diving medal at Paris 2024 – a record haul. And Williams became just the third British diver to win multiple medals at a single Games, after Daley in 2021 and Jack Laugher in 2016.

Williams was in a playful mood after picking up his second medal of the Parisian Games 

‘I’m pretty shocked,’ added Williams after emulating Daley’s result in this event at Tokyo. ‘If you had asked nearly anyone before the final, they wouldn’t have said I was going to medal.

‘Tom was here to cheer me on which is always nice. Afterwards he said, “Well done, do you believe it?”, and I said, “Not really, it feels like a bit of a dream”.

‘He has obviously done this a few times, but now I can kind of get a bit closer to him. I have got a silver and bronze. Now the hardest one is left.’