Tom Daley has revealed that he spent 10 hours in hospital after contracting COVID-19 in January ©Getty Images

British diver Tom Daley has opened up about a battle with COVID-19 which caused him to fear for his life - seven months before winning Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.

Daley lifted the lid on his secret health ordeal in his new autobiography, Coming Up For Air: What I Learned from Sport, which is being serialised in The Times.

The 27-year-old, who won men’s synchronised 10-metre platform gold alongside Matty Lee in Tokyo, revealed that he spent 10 hours in hospital in January after testing positive for COVID-19.

"My lungs felt pressurised, as if they had sacks of rice around them," said Daley.

"I needed to get to that test centre and find out.

"I walked there very, very slowly, diligently avoiding everyone I could.

"When I returned home, I felt like I'd been run over by a steamroller.

"Within eight hours, I received the message that I was positive."

As his condition deteriorated, Daley said he "honestly felt like I might die" while his husband, Dustin Lance, also contracted coronavirus.

"My head felt like I had a vice tightening around it and my oxygen levels were dropping," Daley wrote.

Tom Daley and Matty Lee won gold in the men's synchronised 10m platform at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ©Getty Images
Tom Daley and Matty Lee won gold in the men's synchronised 10m platform at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ©Getty Images

Daley called 111 before being taken to hospital where he underwent X-rays and blood tests and was given oxygen.

"I understood how quickly things could potentially go downhill," said Daley.

"I had flashes of fear about whether I would be put on a ventilator, and my time being up.

"I was really terrified.

"They did blood tests and a chest X-ray. 

"There were loads of blotches on my lungs.

"I was in hospital for about ten hours to monitor my stats, and they gave me some oxygen to boost the levels.

"Once they stabilised, they sent me home.

"Three days after my trip to hospital, I started to make progress. 

"As each day went by, I felt much better.

"The overwhelming feeling was a sense of relief that it was finally over."

Along with Olympic gold, Daley has won three bronze medals at the Games, with the first of those coming in the men’s 10m platform at London 2012.

He secured bronze in the synchronised 10m platform alongside Daniel Goodfellow at Rio 2016 and achieved the same colour again in the men’s 10m platform at Tokyo 2020.

Daley is also a double world champion, five-time European gold medallist and four-time Commonwealth Games champion.