Tom Daley dives with the dolphins

Olympic prodigy Tom Daley said today he was thrilled to test himself against a very different breed of competition after diving with dolphins.

Fresh from the Beijing Games where he competed in the diving final, Daley was invited to SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, to take part in its Blue Horizons show.

The 14-year-old said diving with the dolphins, which can reach speeds of up to 22mph and jump 20 feet out of the water, was an “amazing experience”.

He also got to meet five-tonne killer whale Shamu at the event.

Daley, from Plymouth, Devon, said: “It’s a fantastic show, combining athletic skills and animal power and the audience were brilliant.

“It certainly was a very different experience from diving in Beijing but just as exciting.”

The event, held yesterday, started a week’s holiday for Daley and his family. He is scheduled to return to SeaWorld, where he will brave a shark dive while protected in a cage with bars of reinforced steel.

The Herald talks to Olympic diving star Tom Daley. Posted March 29, 2008.

Tom Daley is teamed up with Vivienne Westwood as Team Visa brings together top athletes with top designers. June 16th, 2008.