BY Telegraph.co.uk

Tom Daley's astonishing rise to prominence continues unabated. Or, given his chosen calling, should that be fall?

Already qualified to compete for Britain in the Olympics, the young diver this week took the gold medal at the European Championships in Eindhoven.

At just 13 years of age, he won the senior event before he had even competed in the juniors. As a profile in today's Saturday magazine reveals, Daley is extraordinarily mature, determined, focussed.

He speaks with the lynx-eyed detachment of a seasoned athlete, yet he has not even started his GCSE courses. Quite the most astonishing thing about him, however, is his bravery. Atop a ten metre diving board is about the scariest place of work known to man.

I went up one a couple of years ago and, as soon as I arrived at the summit my stomach made a bold bid to evacuate through the soles of my feet. It took me about five minutes to pluck up the courage to go anywhere near the edge and peer down to the water.

From up there, you don't see the surface, you see the bottom of the pool a further six metres below. Effectively you are looking at a 50 foot drop, about the height of a five storey building. And Daley spends much of his working life standing on his tip toes, facing backwards on the edge there.

Nor should anyone think the water provides a welcoming landing. When I jumped off (there was no way I was diving) I got such a thwack on my heel I was walking with a limp for a fortnight. Daley will dive off there 40 times a day in training.

There is no question about it: before he has reached 14, Tom Daley is already Britain's bravest sportsman.

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