Olympic champion diver Matty Lee ruled out of Paris 2024 after having surgery on his spine... with 26-year-old revealing he was in chronic pain after injuring his back

Olympic champion diver Matty Lee will miss Paris 2024 after having surgery on his spine.

The 26-year-old won gold at Tokyo 2020 alongside Tom Daley in the men’s synchronised 10metres platform.

But Lee, who found further fame after appearing on I’m A Celebrity in 2021, has not competed this season after injuring his back - and he has now been ruled out of the Olympics.

Team GB, though, will still be among the favourites for gold in his event in Paris, with Daley now teaming up with Noah Williams, who he won a world silver medal with in February.

‘A week ago today I went under for a discectomy on my L5/S1 disc in my spine,’ Lee wrote on Instagram.

‘The surgery went well but my surgeon told me my nerve was very stuck and it took longer than expected to remove my bulging disc without damaging my nerve.

‘He also told me it wouldn’t have got better on its own so to have the surgery was the right decision.

‘What this means for me this year is self-explanatory which is very sad but the reason I look so happy in hospital is that I’m no longer in chronic pain, we’ve found a solution and I have something to work on.

‘This season so far has been really tough, felt like I’ve been dragging myself through the dirt.

‘In a weird way I’ve been put out my misery but it’s also forced me to look after myself and that’s what’s important.’