Tom Daley won gold in the 10m synchronised event with Dan Goodfellow and then used the platform to strongly condemn anti-gay laws in 37 Commonwealth countries.

The English pair just managed to hold on for victory over their compatriots Matthew Dixon and Noah Williams after a wayward final dive. It is a fourth Commonwealth title for Daley who won his first in Delhi in 2010 when he was just 15.

Now 23, much has changed in Daley’s personal life, including his marriage to screenwriter Dustin Lance-Black. The couple announced in February they are expecting a baby but Daley said he still finds it difficult to compete in countries where homosexuality is illegal.

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He spoke of his hope that by the time of the next Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 the attitude towards gay relationships in some of the competing nations would have improved.

“There are 37 countries where it’s illegal to be who I am out of all the Commonwealth so hopefully we can reduce that number between now and then,” he said. “Coming to the Gold Coast and being able to live as an openly gay man is really important in being able to feel comfortable with who you are when standing on that diving board. For 37 countries that are here participating that’s very much not the case.”

Daley, who pulled out of the 10m individual event because of a hip injury, is due to compete at the World Diving Series in Kazan, Russia in May. While homosexuality is not outlawed in the country Daley said he was fearful of being abused but that it would not prevent him from travelling there as he has done several times before.

“Going to Russia can be scary because you’ve got to compete in front of lots of people and lots of people know that I’ve got a husband,” he said. “I think you’ve got to face those things and try and make change. There’s lots of things that will take a long time to change but I feel like with the Commonwealth I think we could really help push some of the nations to relax their laws on anti-gay stuff.”

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Daley and Goodfellow, who are Olympic bronze medallists in the 10m synchronised, took the Commonwealth title with 405.81 points, narrowly ahead of Dixon,and Williams, who scored 399.99.

Goodfellow, 21, said: “I dropped my sixth dive which is normally my best dive. Tom’s been struggling with it in training but it’s me that dropped it. I thought the boys were going to do it. They’re amazing.”