In 2016 Taylor was part of the BBC commentary team for the diving events at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio and for the 2017 World Aquatics Championships. Taylor had planned, and booked, a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New Zealand with his girlfriend when 'Splash' came about instead. He returned to judge on the show in its second series, airing in 2014. In January 2013, Taylor was named as a judge on the ITV celebrity diving show Splash!. This work built on his experience of mentoring many athletes, most notably Olympic medalist Tom Daley. In 2010 Taylor published a book on the subject of mentoring: MENTOR - The most important role you were never trained for. Taylor now works as a public speaker, presenter, conference host, BBC commentator and mentor to members of the British team. Retirement and post-competitive careerĪlthough Taylor had been planning to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics, he announced his retirement from competition in May of that year following a number of injuries.īetween 2006 – 2008, he completed an HNC (Higher National Certificate) in Business and Finance from Sheffield Hallam University. Following a rule change in 2009, the dive now carries a tariff of 3.6. In 1998 Leon invented the 5255b a back 2.5 somersaults, 2.5 twists which at the time was the World's most difficult dive with a tariff of 3.8. He trained with other members of the British team in the Ponds Forge swimming complex in Sheffield. At a national level, Taylor held both the 10 m platform and 10 m synchro titles from 1994 to 2006. Other achievements include Silver in the men's 10 m platform at the 2002 Commonwealth Games (he had won Bronze in 1998), and Bronze in the 10 m synchro at the 1999 European Aquatics Championships. He had come fourth in the same competition in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. It was Britain's first Olympic diving medal since Brian Phelps in 1960. In the diving events at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, he won the Silver medal in the men's synchronised 10-metre platform, with partner Peter Waterfield. Taylor represented Great Britain at three Summer Olympic Games and was a member of the Great Britain team for 16 years winning medals at all major international championships. He trained at Cheltenham Leisure Centre under Dave Turner and then Ian Barr until 1996. By the age of 11 he was a national champion. He was a swimmer and gymnast from the age of two and took up competitive diving when he was eight. He was hyperactive as a child and his parents were advised to channel his energies and enthusiasm into sport. Taylor was born and educated in Cheltenham where he attended Bournside School.
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