Glasgow 2014: Tom Daley Retains 10m Platform Commonwealth Gold

Tom Daley successfully defended his 10m platform Commonwealth diving title after a dominant performance at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh.

Daley finished on a score of 516.55, a full 82.85 points ahead of his closest rival Ooi Tze Liang of Malaysia – who took silver - while Canada's Vincent Riendeau was forced to settle for bronze.

Following a difficult 12 months for Daley, who has suffered injury problems as well as criticism regarding his media activities away from diving, Commonwealth gold works as the perfect repost.

Fellow-English divers James Denny and Matthew Dixon finished sixth and ninth respectively.

"I am really chuffed," said Daley. "It's great to go into a final dive knowing you don't even have to hit it to get a medal. It's been a very long season and it was always going to be about who could hold it together. I finally have something to show for all the hard work I have been putting in.

"It's a good stepping-stone [for the Rio Olympics in 2016]. It's shown that I am right up there with the world's best divers. For me it is about working as hard as I can, there is still a lot I can improve on.

"Diving is my No.1 priority. I used to do school and no-one used to worry about me going to school and saying it was a distraction and I shouldn't be doing it. I want to start a course to keep my mind away from it because if your mind is constantly on diving it will melt.

"I had to imagine that someone was on my heels. I don't want to go out there and do average dives, I want to go out there and do perfect diving.

"I think the Chinese will be looking at it [my performance] and hopefully they'll be bale to see that I am coming to get them."

After relinquishing his synchronized title alongside Denny on Friday, Daley was aiming to become the first back-to-back winner of 10m platform gold at the Commonwealth Games for 40 years.

As with the synchronized event, Daley faced stern competition from Australia' Matthew Mitcham – who took silver in Delhi - while New Zealand's Fengyang Li also posed a threat.

But the Englishman laid down a marker with his very first dive – a forward three-and-a-half somersault – with a score of 94.50 to give himself a healthy, albeit early, lead as both Fengyang and Mitcham faltered.

The 20 year old then slalomed his demon dive, the back two-and-a-half somersault with two-and-a-half twists, to remain in the lead ahead of Domonic Bedggood – who partnered Mitcham to synchronised gold – and Malaysia's Yiwei Chew.

At the halfway point Delay, the Olympic bronze medallist from London 2012, had extended his lead to 26 points and despite being pursued by Riendeau and Mitcham, knew he already had one hand on gold.

Daley's lead was enhanced further after round four, as he produced a solid forward four-and-a-half somersault as his fellow competitors continued to struggle amid the pressure of a major final.

The result was put beyond any doubt when Daley produced a final flourish with his penultimate dive, earning a score of 102.60 for the back three-and-a-half somersault which secured his place at the top of the podium, before his final dive helped break the 500-point barrier.