TOM DALEY may only just be old enough to be left home alone,

but the young diver can make a big splash in Beijing and

beyond, according to his mentor and Olympic silver medalist

Leon Taylor.

The Plymouth schoolboy has already excelled on the 10metre

platform, winning the 2008 European title to add to his golds

from the British Championships in the singles and synchronised

event with partner Blake Aldridge.

The duo also claimed first place at the FINA Diving World

Series round in Sheffield during May.

Sixth in the FINA world rankings, the young Briton – born in

May 1994, who will be just 14 years and 81 days old when the

Games start later this summer – faces stiff competition from

top Chinese pair Luxin Zhou and Yue Lin, while Sascha Klein of

Germany and Australian Matthew Mitcham and America's David

Boudia will all have hopes of making it on to the podium.

However, the experiences of his Asian journey will, says

Taylor, who reluctantly was forced to announce his retirement

earlier this month, stand Daley in good stead for when the best

on the planet go head to head in London four years from

now.

“It is going to be a challenge for Tom, but what he has done

very well is keep his feet on the ground,” said Taylor, whose

silver came at the Athens Games in the synchronised event with

Pete Waterfield – Britain's first diving medal for 40

years.

“When things have got a little bit hectic for him, he has

put his hand up. That is one of my roles as his mentor to help

spot those things and be there for him if he needs

protecting.

“But he is a superstar – Tom was men's European champion at

13 and has got a fantastic list of achievements, and he has not

even done his GCSEs yet.”

Taylor added: “Tom is very much going out to Beijing to

enjoy the Olympic experience, which is what I told him from day

one.

“What he will learn from Beijing will put him in such a good

stead for London 2012.

“He will only be 18 then and has a really bright future

ahead of him.”

Taylor feels as long as Daley keeps 'enjoying' the climb up

to the platform before then plunging himself down into the

pool, there is no reason why the teenager cannot compete with

the best in the world.

“It will be interesting to watch his progress,” the

30-year-old said.

“The one piece of advice I would give Tom is to smile and

enjoy what you do, because as soon as you lose that, that is

when things could start to go wrong.

“You have to train so hard and sacrifice so much that unless

you are enjoying every second of it, then ultimately you are

wasting your time.

“That is what Tom does – he is always smiling, taking

everything in his stride and does not let things get him down

because it is a tough sport.”

Taylor – who had been scheduled to dive off against Daley

and Aldridge for Team GB's place in the eight-pair synchronised

event at the Olympic trials in Leeds later this month – is

optimistic 'there are medal chances within the team', but said:

“Diving is one of those sports where it very much depends on

what happens on the day.”

He added: “With China winning 11 out the 12 golds at the

world championships and with the Olympics being in China, home

advantage is certainly going to be with them.

“Diving is a subjective sport and you have got people's

opinion deciding the results, but you just have to put up with

it.

“The judges have the final say – all you can do is focus on

your own performance in that one moment.”

But for his injury problems, the latest a worn-out vertebral

disc in his lower back, Taylor felt he could have made it

through on merit to take part in what would have been a fourth

Olympic Games.

“I have had two shoulder operations, a hernia operation in

January and have also been struggling with my lower back,” he

said.

“However, at the age of 26, I was already the oldest in my

event in Athens, so the writing has been on the wall.

“Unfortunately the medics have told me my body is worn out.

We looked at all the options, but there was nothing I could

do.”

Daley is in no doubt of the positive influence Taylor has

provided.

He said: “Leon is still going to play a very important role

as a mentor to me and has been a massive help to me in my

diving career over the past two years.”

Gold in Beijing this summer would certainly be a welcome

gift for Taylor from his young apprentice, tipped to soon

become the master.