Olympic diving champion Tom Daley says he was knitting a dog sweater during women’s final

By Toyin Owoseje, CNN

If competitive diving doesn’t work out, Tom Daley can always pursue a career as a knitwear designer.

The Olympic gold medalist had his eyes on the wool and not the water, in a viral photo of him knitting in the stands at the women’s three-meter springboard final in Tokyo on Sunday.

Daley — fresh from winning his first-ever Olympic gold in the men’s synchronized 10-meter platform last week — caused a stir online, with many viewers keen to know exactly what the purple creation he was working on was.

Early Monday, he took to social media to show off his handiwork — a dog sweater.

“I made my friends some doggy jumpers! It is the cutest little pattern to follow by @knittingland ❤️ How cute do they all look?! I was making another one at the pool yesterday lol”

The 27-year-old athlete took up knitting and crochet last March to get himself through the coronavirus lockdown, creating a page on Instagram to share his creations with fans.

“The one thing that has kept me sane throughout this whole process is my love for knitting and crochet and all things stitching,” he told 564,000 followers on his Instagram knitting page @madewithlovebytomdaley.

When the married father-of-one won gold with his dive partner Matty Lee, he knitted a medal pouch that featured both the Japanese and British flags.

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