Tom Daley in the new documentary '1.6 Seconds'.
Tom Daley’s groundbreaking documentary 1.6 Seconds made its worldwide debut on Max and olympics.com in the U.S. on June 1, 2025. Unraveling the life of the British diving virtuoso celebrated across the globe, the film delves deep into Daley’s journey both in and out of the pool. It’s a poignant exploration of his bond with his late father, Robert Daley, and how he maneuvered life’s tumultuous ride in the absence of his most fervent supporter.
In the compelling documentary 1.6 Seconds, Tom Daley an Olympic medalist stripped of glamor bears his soul. The narrative unfolds his poignant battles with bullying, profound grief, and body-image struggles, shaping the high-flying reality atop a daunting 10-meter platform.
The 31-year-old exposes the shadows lurking behind his five medals one gold, one silver, three bronze pinpointing emotional struggles that marked his path, prominently the devastating death of his father, his one undeniable ally.
“My existence revolves around diving. Perfecting those 1.6 seconds has consumed my life,” Daley avows in the documentary. “Years of rigorous preparation culminate in moments fleeting under ten seconds. I wouldn’t alter a thing. It epitomizes 23 of the finest years I could envisage.”
The documentary prominently underscores Robert Daley’s undeniable influence on Tom’s early sports journey. From day one, his father became a fixture by his side, his constant presence at every training and competition cheering Tom steadfastly.
“He was indifferent to my standings. Last or first, his concern never lay in results,” Daley reflects. “His joy thrived in watching me dive, free of any pressing expectations.”
Beyond support, his father was a confidant, Daley asserts in 1.6 Seconds. “He was my refuge, the one soul with whom I could share unfiltered thoughts and feelings.”
This deep-rooted bond made losing his father catastrophic. May 27, 2011, just after Daley turned 17, marked his father’s battle’s somber end to brain cancer. “Losing my dad was more than a familial void,” Daley recounts. “I lost my biggest fan, cherished friend, and role model. Life paused indefinitely.”
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Robert Daley, in shielding his children, concealed his illness’s severity, protecting his son’s emerging success from looming despair.
“As a parent now, I relate to that predicament. Explaining such matters to my eldest son, the narrative fate shares with each sibling,” Daley, sharing two sons with filmmaker Dustin Lance Black, reveals exclusively to PEOPLE. “Parental instincts shield children from unavoidable adversity.”
“Such are the documentary’s origins; I am grateful for archival mementos,” he adds. “These vivid timeless recollections preserved digitally remain one of life’s treasured memoirs.”
In his father’s absence, Daley plunged into a realm of isolation.
“I suspect that loss triggered countless challenges I confronted thereafter,” he contemplates. “I felt isolated, fearing additional burdens might overshadow others already weighed by their struggles.”
Alongside grappling with grief, the teenage Daley fielded school bullying and waged an internal war with body image.
Upon his Olympic debut at Beijing 2008, aged 14, Daley was prey to bullying’s cruel glares. Tormented by peers, some threatening physical violence, pushed Daley and his friends to seek refuge, locking themselves safely during recess.
“They likely underestimated its impact because I stayed silent,” he admits. “Shame cloaked the school’s cruelty an echo of despair I wished I never repeated aloud.”
Speaking of bullying at age 13 only amplified its anguish, public knowledge rendering the ordeal insurmountable.
“In hindsight, reticence could be wiser regarding disclosure,” Daley reveals to PEOPLE.
Tom Daley in 1.6 Seconds.
Sam Riley/WBD
Concluding 2011, still adolescent Daley faced a stark reminder from British Diving leadership to shed weight, a call reminiscent of his 2008 physique.
“It awakened judgments solely on my appearance rather than diving prowess,” he recounts in 1.6 Seconds. “It instigated drastic measures, ensuring food’s temporary presence.”
Fixating on body image preyed on his mind in the lead-up to London 2012. Underweight but burdened, asking for help proved challenging amid the abyss of consuming doubts.
“Decisions over meals revolved around anxiety, leading to hunger-induced binging spells, followed by guilt that begged resolution,” he confides.
Confronted by societal notions of masculinity, Daley fought the stereotypes boldly in his documentary. “Men, in my mind, didn’t battle eating disorders nor harbor mental health woes,” he narrates. “Men were stoic, undaunted by adversity.”
Tom Daley in 1.6 Seconds.
Sam Riley/WBD
Isolation’s shadow lingered until love and fatherhood emerged as beacons. Through husbandry and paternal journey beyond the diving precinct, Daley found solace and acceptance within himself.
“Discovering my essence off the diving board enriched my perspective, unshackling worth from success metrics,” Daley declares in the film. “I realized my multifaceted identity a husband, father, companion, son.”
In contemplating his past, Daley recognizes complexity woven within the notion of changing it.
“My journey’s rich fabric sewn from experiences be they hurdles or successes,” he shares with PEOPLE. “These trials and triumphs molded my identity today.”
1.6 Seconds is now available for streaming on Max globally and on olympics.com in the U.S.
