Tom Daley wins BBC Tom Daley of the Year Award

Tom Daley 2010: Tom Daley

Britain’s greatest diver and all-round wunderkind, Tom Daley, has won this year’s BBC’s Tom Daley of the Year Award.

The Tom Daley of the Year title is the second most prestigious awarded during the annual Sports Personality of the Year show. Only the Sports Personality of the Year Award itself is held in higher esteem, but since 1970 the BBC’s charter has prevented that particular title from being won by anyone associated with aquatics, meaning that this year’s award went instead to rodeo stuntman Tony McCoy.

It is the third time the 16 year-old has won the Tom Daley of the Year award, following similar success in 2007 and 2009. This year it was given in recognition of the fact that he won two Commonwealth Games gold medals, to add to the World Title he won last year.