Tom Daley reveals shocking amount Olympic gold medallists earn due to 'tier system'

Tom Daley has revealed the shocking amount Olympic gold medalists earn through a 'tier' system.

Daley competed in five Olympics during his storied diving career.

His first Olympics was in Beijing in 2008. He also competed in London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, while his last appearance was in Paris in 2024.

The 31-year-old took home one Olympic gold medal during his career, winning the men's synchronised 10m platform event at the 2020 Olympics.

Speaking on The Chris Moyles Show, Daley disclosed how much he earned after reaching the pinnacle of his sport, stunning Chris Moyles in the process.

Moyles began: "We were talking this morning, and you don’t need to get too much into detail if you don’t want to, when you’re part of Team GB in the sport you were in do you all get paid the same? Is it like a token thing like here’s thirty-five quid a week or whatever it is?"

Tom Daley in action during an event. Image: Getty

To which Daley replied by referencing a 'tier' system, saying: "Well, kind of but it depends on how good you are. There are tiers so if you qualify for the major of the year then you get a certain amount and if you come in the top eight you get more. Then if you win an Olympic medal you get to the top tier which I think is twenty-seven a year."

Shocked by the revelation, Moyes replied: "Twenty-seven grand a year? That’s all you get for being a gold medallist, that’s rubbish!"

Daley relied on brand partnerships and sponsorships for revenue.

He added: "Yeah, that’s what you get. But then I’m really fortunate to have had the sponsors and that kind of stuff. But that’s kind of part of the reason why you see athletes doing brand partnerships for that reason.

"But not everyone gets the opportunity to do that which is why athletes probably need more support in that sense."

Tom Daley celebrates winning a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics. Image: Getty

Dominic Byrne weighed in: "It’s not a lot of money is it for being the best in the world at your sport."

Moyles continued by joking about Daley's pay, claiming he was the 'poorest famous person in Britain'.

"It’s not a lot of money at all," he said. "Because you became famous fairly quickly, as in you were obviously diving since you were three years old or something crazy, but you’ve got all that fame, and you are earning twenty-seven grand a year. Which ain’t shabby but you must have been the poorest famous person in Britain for a while."