Tom Daley defended by Eddie the Eagle over viral knitting at Tokyo 2020 'It's important'
EDDIE THE EAGLE has waded in on the topic of Tom Daley's knitting at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, in an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk.
Tom Daley discusses taking up knitting
Former ski-jumper Eddie the Eagle said he believes Tom Daley took up knitting as an escape from training. The gold-winning diver hit the headlines after he was seen knitting during the women's springboard diving final earlier this month. While many praised the diver for his actions, others were quick to criticise him.
Piers Morgan took to Twitter to insist that Tom must've been bored with the games, for him to result to knitting.
Sharing his thoughts, Eddie whi competed on Splash! with Tom back in 2013, said the latter's newfound talent was unknown to him then.
The Olympian said: "It must be a new thing for him, but my mum and grandma were prolific knitters, so I can see the appeal.
"I used to get some lovely jumpers off them, so to knit them yourself is excellent."
The 57-year-old went on to agree that such an action at the Olympics was bizarre, but added: "I'm not surprised.
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"It's important for athletes to relax and find something that helps them to either think about other things or to relax in general."
The Masked Dancer star added he used to switch off from sport by reading a newspaper or a book.
"But if knitting relaxes you then that's brilliant," he continued.
"I can definitely see why he knits and it's nice to be able to think about something other than diving and training."
Tom took to his social media page, dedicated to knitting, to show fans what he had created during the games.
One of his creations was a pouch, in which he kept his gold medal from the event.
He won the top award in the synchronised 10m platform competition alongside Matty Lee.
The diver has also knitted a cardigan as a tribute to Team GB.
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Tom previously told fans he turned to knitting during lockdown last year.
"It's just been my way of finding calm, focus, mindfulness, a nice healthy distraction," he said in one of his online videos.
The 27-year-old added his new hobby was a good escape from training for the Olympics.
Elsewhere, Eddie appeared at the Inspired Games in Warwickshire to encourage retirees to keep motivated, mindful and mobile post-lockdown.
The skier's visit was part of a wider week of activities held by Inspired Villages to celebrate Great Britain at the games this summer and boost wellness among the older generation as lockdown restrictions continue to lift.
He said of his involvement: “I am thrilled to be joining the residents and guests at Great Alne Park for the Inspired Games.
"It’s really important especially as we get older that we stay fit and active, and it’s great to be able to work with Inspired Villages as this is something that they champion and encourage for all of their residents to keep them living independently for longer.
"I can’t wait to get stuck in, the guests may even beat me at some sports events!”
For more information on Inspired Villages please visit www.inspiredvillages.co.uk.