A MAN who went to school with Olympian Tom Daley had admitted he feels the diver’s first gold medal is in some small way his, too.
27-year-old Jordan Gardner shared geography and physics classes with Daley during their time at Eggbuckland Community College, and believes their fleeting interaction helped the Olympian win gold in the men’s synchronised 10m platform.
He said: “I lent him my pencil once, because even future gold medallists need a helping hand. And the rest, as they say, is history.
“That moment in the physics lesson turned his life around. It was my pencil he was using when he realised how gravity worked and that as a high diver he could use it to his advantage.
“Who knows, if I hadn’t stepped in and handed Tom that all important Staedtler Noris HB then the Chinese team might be basking in glory right now. Instead Tom, and myself to some extent, are the champions.
“It was obvious Tom wanted to thank me during that emotional interview, but some things are better left unsaid. His tears of gratitude on the podium said more than words ever could anyway.”
He added: “I don’t know who that other dude on the podium was. He should do the gracious thing and leave the spotlight to those who earned it, like Tom and me.”
