Queerguru reviews ‘TOM DALEY 1.6 SECONDS’ on becoming a champion diver, and an awesome husband and father

Today June 1st, marks the beginning of Pride Month, which, with the present political unrest, particularly in the US, seems more important than ever we celebrate our community.  Of all the likely ways we can do this Queerguru was nevertheless surprised (shocked even) to find ourselves doing this by something which was not only unexpected but totally out of character.  

Somehow, we discovered there is an online entity new to us, i.e. Olympic TV Channel,  and even more shocking is the fact that we watched a brand new sports documentary that actually had us swelling up with tears in our eyes. You may have guessed from the fact that Queerguru has never ever written about sports to date, that this was a major incident for us (and unlikely to be repeated).  However, it is one we so want to highly recommend. 

“Tom Daley: 1.6 Seconds” is a totally captivating documentary that chronicles the highs and lows of the queer  British Olympic diver’s remarkable career and and its impact beyond the pool.  (The film’s title is named after the critical one point six seconds it takes the diver from launching off the 10m platform to the moment of entering the water in some form). Thanks to a doting father, there is archival footage starting with the 8-year-old child prodigy when he first discovers both his love and talent for diving.  Up to the time his father dies prematurely from cancer, he is not only Tom’s biggest fan, but he’s the reason why Tom wants to succeed in all the diving championships

His career highlights have already been well documented in the media at the time,  but it was fascinating to see how he went from teenage prodigy to make his Olympic debut at Beijing 2008 at the age of 14, and four years later win a bronze medal at his home Games at London 2012.  What makes Daley’s career/life so compelling to observe it was never a straight trajectory to the top, but something of a rollercoaster at times, like when he failed to win any medals at his third Olympics in Rio in 2026.

This documentary from award-winning Welsh filmmaker Vaughan Sivell has Daley sitting in a studio seeing his life flash by in vintage home and media footage and we get to see his reaction to some that he has never seen before. It is at this point when we witness the charismatic Daley respond so genuinely to parts he cannot even remember, or that  he relishes with joy, that we fall in love wth him.  We are however not the only one and it  comes as no surprise that the writer Dustin Lance Black, 20 years his senior, falls head over heals with him so quickly and deeply that Daley decides its time for him to ‘come out’.  It may appear that they are an unlikely match but as Black succinctly puts it that as he has just won his Academy award (for writing Milk) and Daley has just won his Olympic Gold they are both at career crossroads.

It brings us to the next chapter in his life when he needs to decide if its time to hang up his speedos for good and focus on being a parent to his and Lance’s children.  In the end its an easy decision for him to make and you know that he will put all the same energy and committent into his families future as he did into his career.

 

In his own words  “That 14-year-old me back at his Olympics in Beijing in 2008 has been on such a journey, and I’m so grateful for every moment, good and bad. I’ve received incredible support throughout the years, have the most beautiful family and, as I reflect on my silver medal at Paris 2024, my eyes are on what the future could hold.”

 

THIS IS A LINK TO SEE THE WHOLE DOC FREE:

https://www.olympics.com/en/films/watch/tom-daley-1-6-seconds-documentary

 

Review by ROGER WALKER-DACK.

Editor-in-Chief.  Miami Beach, FL / Provincetown, MA

Member of G.A.L.E.C.A. (Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association) and NLGJA The Association of LGBT Journalists. and The Online Film Critics Society. Ex Contributing Editor The Gay Uk & Contributor Edge Media Former CEO and Menswear Designer of  Roger Dack Ltd in the UK 

 

PS You may also like  to check out an interview Dustin Lance Black gave Queerguru in 2019 to talk about his book Mama’s Boy HERE