Meet Tom Dean, Team GB swimmer at Paris 2024 Olympics who was a double gold medallist in Tokyo
TOM DEAN has been a swimmer from an early age, and his drive to break records means he trains hard.
We find out more about the swimming superstar who could become one of the big names of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Tom Dean was the 2020 Olympic Champion in both the 200m Freestyle and the 4 x 200m Freestyle RelayThe Times
Tom Dean in action in the poolPA Wire
The Olympic Rings in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, where the 2024 games are taking placeAP
Who is Tom Dean?
Thomas William Darnton Dean MBE was born on May 2, 2000, and is a competitive freestyle swimmer.
Born in London to parents Jonathan and Jacquie, Tom has two sisters and two brothers.
He started swimming when he was young after his mum decided to take all five children for lessons, but by eight years old he was doing it competitively.
He put his mechanical engineering degree on hold in his quest to reach the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he won two gold medals.
After his storming success he was made an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours.
Tom then went on to win seven more medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, followed by a further four at last year’s World Championships.
What sport is Tom Dean competing in at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Tom has been named in Team GB‘s swimming squad for the 2024 games.
He’ll be competing in the 200m individual medley event, hoping to add a further gold to his tally from the 2020 games.
Last time round he triumphed in both the 200m freestyle and the 4 x 200m freestyle relay events.
The individual medley is where participants swim 50m of each of four different strokes:
Butterfly
Backstroke
Breaststroke
Freestyle
Tom’s also part of three relay squads for the games, and has his sights set on gold for these events too.
He had been pushing to race in enough events to give him the chance to win more golds than anyone’s done before — but tough competition meant he might have to settle for equalling it instead.
Tom Dean won a large haul of medals at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth GamesGetty
Team GB Gold medallists Tom Dean, James Guy, Matthew Richards and Duncan Scott after winning gold in the Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay at Tokyo 2020Getty
Which country is Tom Dean representing at Paris 2024 Olympics?
Tom Dean is representing Team GB at the 2024 Olympics.
He’s part of a stellar line-up of British athletes, and the hopes of the country will once more be in their hands after a run of successful games.
8 medals were brought home by Team GB swimmers in 2020, part of the overall haul of 64.
The 2024 Olympics get underway on Friday July 26, with the swimming events taking place at the Paris La Defense Arena.
