Boris Johnson has been urged to think again over plans to alter sports facilities that could crush a boy’s Olympic dreams.

Callum King started diving two years ago after being spotted by a coach from the Crystal Palace diving team as part of the ASA England Diving initiative to find 2020 Olympians.

Since then the 10-year-old has competed against 18-year-olds, helped with Croydon’s success in the London Youth Games and is a national diving champion.

His mother Tara King, 43, said proposed changes to the diving pool at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre could end the Olympics dream of the Broadmead Primary Academy pupil before it has properly begun.

The proposal is to put a mechanically raised platform in the diving pool so it can be made shallow or deep, a change she says would negatively affect the depth needed for diving.

It is part of the Mayor of London’s ideas for the National Sports Centre that include demolishing Crystal Palace stadium.

This proposed stadium demolition has been called the “greatest threat to the progress of sport” by athletes and Mrs King is similarly worried about the plan for the diving pool.

The mother-of-four, from South Norwood, said: “Most of the children (on the diving team) are really sad because their dreams are going to the Commonwealths or the Olympics.

“If they make these changes they will kill a lot of dreams.

“Everybody says the Olympics inspires the children and it is being taken away from them.

“To Boris Johnson I would say please think about all these children.

“When I see Seb Coe on the television I think about how he broke a couple of records on the track.

“He does not need to be an athlete any more and you’re taking it away from all the youngsters.”

The consultation period for the proposed changes to the sports centre and stadium ended on Sunday.

A spokesman for the Mayor of London told the Croydon Guardian it had received a huge amount of feedback on proposals during consultation, and no changes had been confirmed.