Tom Daley spectacularly won the Olympic medal his late father Rob always believed was his destiny.

At 18, Daley delivered the most heart-warming bronze medal of these Games.

In the ecstatic crowd, his mother, Debbie, younger brothers Will and Ben, and his grandparents wept tears of joy for Tom; and tears of remembrance for Rob.

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Show us your medal: Tom Daley shows off his Olympic bronze medal Here we go: Daley is thrown into the pool after winning his bronze medal

'I wish my dad could have been here,' said Daley. 'I'm so happy. After losing my dad, and all the tough experiences and hard times, it's about time my family had some good news.

'Although it's a bronze medal, for me it's like a gold medal as it's a symbol of all the hard work I have put in. It's one of those things I have wanted for so long, to compete in front of a home crowd and I wanted it to go the way I wanted it to.

Surprise winner: David Boudia celebrates his gold for USA

'I went out there and gave it my best shot. I did absolutely everything and with a shaky start having to do a re-dive because of the flash photography.

'That's one downside of the homecrowd thing, but honestly I'm just so happy. I just can't wait to go and see my family and just have a massive bundle. It's going to be great.'

Close contest: Qiu Bo was in contention throughout

Leading man: Tom Daley took the lead with one round to go

Only a final dive of supreme excellence from America's David Boudia, to claim the gold, and another from China's Qiu Bo, deprived him of a medal of a more dazzling colour.

Daley was not the least bit disappointed. He wore a smile the width of the diving pool. He danced with his team-mates on the deck, then frolicked with them in the water.

He had offered an exemplary performance under the most intense scrutiny.

Second life: Tom Daley was allowed to repeat his first dive after complaining about the camera flashes

Top man: But Tom Daley had some tough competition

And he thoroughly deserved the ovation he received from the crowd, which included David Beckham, as he walked around the pool as flags were waved in his honour.

No child unwrapping his gifts at Christmas has ever looked happier than Daley when he received his Olympic medal here last night.

As he grabbed a Union flag, to be worn like a cloak on a celebratory lap of honour, cameramen scrambled to find the best angle to photograph him.

Boudia must have wondered who had won the Olympic title, while Bo looked like a man who understood that silver was not going to placate the diving commissars back in China.

Great reception: Tom Daley enjoyed fantastic support

On the most important night of his life, Daley reacted to the burden of expectation on him with the ice-cold demeanour of a man untouched by nerves, and undiminished by the enormity of his task.

Daley appeared the coolest man in town.

Yet with a bronze medal draped from his neck, he admitted afterwards: 'To be honest, I was very nervous. I went into it with a do-or-die mentality.'

Perhaps more has happened in the life of Daley than any other athlete who appeared at the last Olympics in Beijing.

The death of his father 15 months ago, at just 40, is one more burden Daley has had to shoulder.

Tom boy: Tom Daley recovered after a tricky start

From the moment he was selected to dive in Beijing, he was anointed the poster boy of London 2012.

Casually, we reminded ourselves that he was still at school; yet since Beijing, he has grown more than five inches in height to 5ft 9½in, and now weighs a muscular 11st 4lb, at least 25lb heavier than he had been when he became the second youngest athlete in history to represent Team GB at an Olympic Games.

Daley's evening began controversially as he strode belligerently towards the senior official of the competition to lodge an irate protest after his first dive.

Golden moment: David Boudia won for USA

His coach, Andy Banks, had already arrived to register his own displeasure at the number of flash bulbs from cameras within the audience. After a brief conversation, the judges agreed.

He was awarded a re-dive - and Daley seized the moment to deliver his backward two-and-a-half somersaults, twoand- a-half twists with pike with such a distinct improvement that he was in third place after the first round.

He never looked back, and his fourth-round dive on the most important night of his life - the Big Four-and-a-Half - was an absolute triumph, moving him into the bronze medal position.

Briefly, he held top spot; but then Boudia and Bo flew without mishap and the bronze was his.

Banks was the first to hug him, a clasp round the shoulders that acknowledged how far they had travelled together.

Topsy turvy: Daley's repeat first-round dive scored very high

'Tom's already talking about competing in Rio,' said Banks.

Beckham had been texting Daley, and Prime Minister David Cameron had been to see him.

Gordon Brown, then Prime Minister, was in the best seats when Daley finished eighth in the Olympic final four years ago.

In January, he was photographed with London Mayor Boris Johnson on the 10-metre board.

Home crowd: Tom Daley's mother Debbie, and brother William, watch the diving final

Daley's comfort in such company has always come easily to him.

Now he is unafraid to consider himself to be responsible, in some part, for the future of his mum and brothers.

Last night Tom Daley's brave performance may not have won him the Olympic title, but it enhanced his reputation as a young man who is destined to remain at the forefront of British public life.