Britain's youngest Olympic medal hope Tom Daley today spoke of his joy at competing in the Games as he walked through the athletes' village.

The 14-year-old European diving champion was relaxing with close friend Tonia Couch, 19, as he settled into a training regime in Beijing.

He said: "I like it here, everyone is nice and they say 'Hello'. We have been training in a pool inside the village and it is going well."

Tom also laughed off fears about Beijing's notorious smog despite the US athletes arriving in the city last night sporting black masks to protect their lungs. "To be honest-I haven't really given it much thought," he said.

"I have been training inside anyway and my event is in the pool, so it hasn't been a problem. It might be if we were competing outside." Tom, from Plymouth, is sending postcards with his picture on to family back home. He said: "I hope the postcards get back to England before we do," he said.

His family are due to arrive in Beijing in time to see him compete in the individual 10-metre platform event.

Tom is the youngest member of the British Olympic team and is being guided by senior members of the squad. His mentor is five-times gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave, who has been advising him not to worry if he loses sleep before the big event.

Tom is the second-youngest contestant to have competed in the Olympics for Britain. The youngest was Ken Lester who was 13 years, 144 days when he coxed for a rowing pair at the Rome Olympics in 1960.

Tom will be 14 years, 81 days when he dives into the Olympic pool in the hope of becoming Britain's youngest medallist.