Daley insists Youth Olympic gold is no formality

By Chris Cottrell, Sportsbeat

WORLD champion Tom Daley insists he's no shoo-in for gold at next month's inaugural Youth Olympic Games despite being the marquee name in the Great Britain team.

OLD HAND: Tom Daley is the stellar name of the Great Britain squad at the Youth Olympic Games but he insists gold is no formality (Getty Images)

Having made his Olympic debut as a precocious 14-year old in Beijing two years ago, Daley became Britain's first individual diving world champion with victory on the 10m platform in Rome 12 months ago today.

But after missing June's FINA World Cup and British Gas Diving Championships with a back injury, the teenager admits he is relieved to even be competing in the Far East.

And with world silver medallist and long-time rival Qiu Bo also in attendance in the Lion City, Daley is adamant he expects competition for the top prize to be fiercely contested.

"It will be a very, very high standard at Singapore," said Daley, who finished seventh in the 10m platform at Beijing 2008.

"Qiu Bo beat me at the Junior World Championships and came second in Rome last year so there's always been that little bit of competition between us two.

"There are many other guys as well, so I'm really looking forward to it. It was pretty annoying to have a back injury when I did. But it happens and I'm just glad it happened for something not as important as the Youth Olympics.

"I'm always looking to be fully fit for the major competitions and missing events definitely motivates you to get back to full fitness as soon as you can."