Olympic gold medallist Matty Lee has announced his retirement from diving, bringing an end to a career that saw him achieve success at every major international level.

Lee, who won gold in the men’s 10m synchronised event alongside Tom Daley at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, shared the news on Instagram, citing personal loss, injuries, and a change in perspective as key reasons behind his decision.

“After 20 years in the sport, it’s time for me to step away from diving,” the 26-year-old Briton wrote.

“This decision hasn’t been easy, but after losing my dad in 2022, I struggled to find the same passion I once had—he was my why. Then came injuries, surgeries, and the realisation that I don’t want to be a broken man moving forward.”

Lee made his World Championship debut in 2015 at just 17 years old. He claimed his first world medal two years later, securing silver in the mixed 10m synchronised event alongside Lois Toulson. Following his Olympic triumph, he went on to win silver in the men’s 10m synchronised event at the 2022 World Championships with Noah Williams.

A European title alongside Daley in May 2021 set the stage for their Tokyo success, where they stunned favourites Cao Yuan and Chen Aisen of China to claim Olympic gold by just 1.2 points.

Lee and Williams further cemented their dominance in 2022 by winning Commonwealth Games gold. However, his career was later disrupted by injury, leading to spinal surgery in early 2024. The procedure—a discectomy on the L5/S1 disc—ultimately ruled him out of the Paris Olympics.

In his retirement statement, the Leeds-born diver paid tribute to his late father, Tim, and expressed gratitude to his family, friends, coaches, team-mates, and fans for their support throughout his journey.

“What’s next?” he wrote. “Honestly, I don’t know. And that’s both terrifying and exciting. But I do know this—there’s more to life than diving, and I’m ready for it.”