Need some inspiration? Looking for a sporting hero to emulate? Then look no further than thirteen-year-old Tom Daley from Plymouth in the UK.

Tom is the new European swimming champion following his win at the European Swimming Championships in The Netherlands.

Tom won the competition by being the best at diving. His dives were flawless according to sports commentators in the fourth and fifth rounds of the games, where he scored his best results.

His success qualifies him for the Olympic Games in Beijing, and he is feeling very proud. He told the BBC:

"To finish up and be standing on the top of the podium with your national anthem playing is not something that happens every day."

He has broken a record with his win, and is now Britain's youngest male medallist. The record until now was held by another diver, Brian Phelps, who was sixteen years old when he won the bronze medal at the European Championships when it was held in Rome.

There have been winners in the past that were even younger. Cecilia Colledge still holds the record for being the youngest British female Olympic competitor.

She was 11 years and 73 days old when she competed in the women's single skating competition at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

Tom has a track record of succeeding when young. He was given special permission to compete at the Youth Olympics when he was three years under the minimum age limit. He also outstripped all his contemporaries at school and at the Senior National Championships.

So, can Tom Daley, who will be 14 in August, go onto Olympic victory even at his first attempt? It seems his chances are quite good. Fellow sportsmen say he has the drive and determination to succeed.

• european [juərə´pi:ən]   a.欧洲的 n.欧洲人   (初中英语单词)
• champion [´tʃæmpiən]   n.冠军 vt.拥护   (初中英语单词)
• competition [,kɔmpi´tiʃən]   n.比赛；竞争   (初中英语单词)
• standing [´stændiŋ]   n.持续 a.直立的   (初中英语单词)
• female [´fi:meil]   a.女(性)的 n.女人   (初中英语单词)
• permission [pə´miʃən]   n.允许；同意；许可   (初中英语单词)
• compete [kəm´pi:t]   v.比赛，竞争，对抗   (初中英语单词)
• victory [´viktəri]   n.胜利，战胜   (初中英语单词)
• inspiration [,inspi´reiʃən]   n.鼓舞；灵感；启发   (高中英语单词)
• bronze [brɔnz]   n.青铜(器)   (高中英语单词)
• competitor [kəm´petitə]   n.竞争者；比赛者   (高中英语单词)
• minimum [´miniməm]   n.最小量 a.最小的   (高中英语单词)
• senior [´si:niə]   a.年长的 n.前辈   (高中英语单词)
• determination [di,tə:mi´neiʃən]   n.决心；决定   (高中英语单词)
• plymouth [´pliməθ]   n.普利茅斯   (英语四级单词)
• placid [´plæsid]   a.平静的；温和的   (英语四级单词)
• anthem [´ænθəm]   n.圣歌；赞歌   (英语六级单词)
• august [ɔ:´gʌst]   a.尊严的；威严的   (英语六级单词)