Most teenagers his age are busy worrying about spots, girls and what songs to download onto their iPod, but Tom Daley has different concerns - how to build on being a World, Commonwealth and European champion.

Daley was singled out at diving lessons by his coach and entered into a competitive squad in 2002. His talent became quickly apparent when he won a medal in the eight/nine-year-old boys' category at the National Novice Championships in April 2003.

Focusing his efforts on the 10m platform event, Daley's career took off in 2008. The diving prodigy became the youngest person to win a gold medal at the European Championships and, aged 14, became the youngest member of the 2008 British Olympic team. He became Britain's first world diving champion in Rome, in 2009, and, at 15, the youngest British world champion in any sport.

Considered one of Britain's main hopes for Olympic glory at London 2012, Daley showcased his talent with a stellar performance at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Together with his team-mate Max Brick, he won gold in the Synchronised 10m Platform, finishing ahead of Australia and Canada, and he returned the next day to complete a memorable double, seeing off Olympic champion Matt Mitcham to claim gold in the 10m Individual Platform.

He dedicated the win to his father Rob, who has supported his son's career since he began diving at the age of 7. Having recently undergone chemotherapy for brain cancer, Daley Snr was advised not to travel to India. "All I can say is that one is for you," said Daley Jnr. "I knew you would be watching on TV and I had to do it for you."

A phenomenal year was capped off when he was named Young Sports Personality of the Year 2010 by the BBC, for the third time. In April 2011, Daley and Pete Waterfield claimed a dramatic gold in the Diving World Series event in Sheffield, pipping China's Cao Yuan and Zhang Yanquan with a brilliant final dive.

A complicated start to 2012 saw Daley miss out on the National Cup with a thumb injury, but he was back in form for the Diving World Series, taking gold in the individual platform event in the Tijuana, Mexico round.

All set for London 2012 Daley then took bronze in the men's 10 metre platform diving competition behind American David Boudia and Chinese Qiu Bo.

Career high:
In the 10m Individual Platform at the Commonwealth Games, Daley recorded perfect 10s on his third dive, which proved enough to see off Olympic champion Matt Mitcham.

Career low
Being forced to pull out of the synchro final at the European Championships in Budapest just five minutes before he was due to dive because of a torn tricep. The injury meant he was unable to defend his European title.

Quotes
"If I had a girlfriend, she'd have to understand that diving is my priority." Tom Daley, 2009

"There are so many sacrifices, you have to train so hard and when you come out on top of the world it's crazy, it still hasn't sunk in. Hopefully it should put British diving on the map a little bit more and help to get a little bit more publicity." Tom Daley, July 2009

Trivia
Daley stars in one of London 2012's Olympic mascot films. 'Adventures on a Rainbow' is a four-minute long animation which shows the athlete teaching one of the Olympic mascots, Wenlock, to dive. Daley said: "It's incredible to see yourself as an animation, and quite strange at the same time."