Daley Thompson is the subject of the new BBC Two documentary Olympic Superstar, which explores the personal struggles he faced to rise to the top.
In his heyday, he was the best of the best – and his moustache was almost as famous as his gold medals! But it wasn’t a smooth path to become a sporting legend.
Far from it, in fact. He attended a school for trouble children. His dad was murdered in a brutally public way. And Daley was forced to rethink his career after injury…
Here’s everything you need to know about Daley Thompson, and his path to and from Olympic glory…
What was Daley Thompson famous for?
Daley Thompson was one of the UK’s most respected and loved Olympians in the 80s. He’s famous for being a decathlete – a combined event in athletics consisting of 10 track and field events, including 100 metres, long jump, high jump, and shot put.
Although his first ambition was to become a professional footballer, he later switched his interests to athletics. He first competed in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal when he was just 18 and came 18th overall.
He subsequently won the decathlon gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 (Moscow) and 1984 (Los Angeles). Daley also broke the world record for the event four times. He was unbeaten in competition for nine years.
Daley Thompson is considered by many to be one of the greatest decathletes of all time, thanks to his sporting CV – four world records, two Olympic gold medals, three Commonwealth titles, and wins in the World and European Championships.
Sports reporter Robert Chalmers once described him as “the greatest all-round athlete this country has ever produced”. Meanwhile, Sebatian Coe calls him our greatest Olympic athlete.
Daley’s rivalry with West German athlete Jürgen Hingsen was just another reason to watch… Sadly, Daley was forced to retire from athletics in 1992, due to a persistent hamstring injury. In the 1990s, he briefly played reserve team football for Mansfield Town.
In which event did he win a silver medal at the 1986 Commonwealth Games?
It’s fair to say, Daley Thompson enjoyed an amazing 1986. He won the European Championships, and received the bronze medal in the relay. He also won a Commonwealth Games gold in the decathlon, and silver in the relay.
The men’s 4 × 100 metres relay event at the 1986 Commonwealth Games was held on August 02 at the Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh.
Daley won silver alongside fellow UK athletes Lincoln Asquith, Mike McFarlane, and Clarence Callender. They finished in 39.19 seconds, just behind Canada who won with 39.15.
Is Elliot Thompson related to Daley?
Yes, Elliot Thompson is related to Daley. Elliot is Daley’s son. Like his dad, Elliot Thompson became the national decathlon champion at the 2022 British Athletics Championships.
Elliot is now 31 years of age.
The title was won 46 years after Daley claimed his first national title. Meanwhile, Daley’s son Alex Thompson plays rugby union for the University of Bath and England Sevens.
Is Katarina Johnson-Thompson related to Daley?
Despite the name, and the awesome multi-event skills, Katarina Johnson-Thompson is NOT related to Daley. Thompson is just a reasonably common name!
Katarina was actually born in the Woolton suburb of Liverpool, the daughter of English mother Tracey Johnson, a former dancer, and Bahamian father Ricardo Thompson.
Although Katarina is not linked to Daley, she does another famous connection… She attended St Julie’s Catholic High School, where she became close friends with future actress Jodie Comer!
Has Daley Thompson been knighted?
In 1982, Daley Thompson was awarded an MBE. That year, he was also voted BBC Sports Personality of The Year. In 2000, Daley was promoted to the CBE in the New Year Honours.
However, there are many who believe Daley should be awarded a Knighthood. His own sons have questioned why their father is not a Sir. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Elliot said: “My dad has done more than Mo Farah or Bradley Wiggins, so why hasn’t he got a knighthood?”
Poor Daley must be on the TBC list, alongside David Beckham, Sue Barker, Steve Cram, Paul Gascoigne, and Gary Lineker… Although there is the small matter of Daley publicly declaring his ambition to “give Princess Anne a baby”.
What did Daley Thompson do wrong?
Daley’s ‘banter’ has landed him in hot water more than once, which may explain the absence of a Knighthood.
First of all, in 2012, Daley was forced to apologise for a perceived racist slur against the Irish. While appearing on The One Show, Daley was shown a photograph of a torch bearer with the words ‘OYLMPIC torch bearer’ tattooed on her arm.
In response, Daley joked: “The tattooist must have been Irish.”
Presenter Matt Baker immediately stated that the tattoo had been inked in the US, and apologised to viewers. Alex Jones then issued a second apology at the end of the show.
In 2015, the former decathlete said that top female British athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson “throws like a girl”. The controversial comments came during the broadcaster’s coverage of the athletics World Championships in Beijing.
Heptathlon star Katarina was competing at the championships when Daley said of her efforts with the javelin: “Not to sound derogatory, but she throws like a girl.”
What happened to Daley’s dad?
When Daley Thompson was 12 years old, his Nigerian father was shot dead in Streatham. The mini-cab driver was murdered by the husband of a woman whom his dad had dropped off.
In 2009, Daley Thompson embarked on a 367-mile bike journey to highlight youth crime and gang violence, particularly knifings and shootings. Speaking to the Daily Express in 2009, Daley said: “I was 12. My dad got shot in the street. An effect on me? Yes, don’t go out with other people’s wives.”
Daley’s dad Frank was dropping off a woman, and Daley explained: “Her husband shot my dad.” His mum Lydia had to phone Daley at boarding school to tell him.
Daley added: “It sounds really philosophical, but it taught me the urgency of life. In that there is no point in waiting until tomorrow. If we can do it, let’s get on with it. And that’s a lot of the reason for how I am. When I look back on it and think about it, I did get an urgency to do stuff. It became a part of me.
“My father wasn’t that old. I’m sure there were plenty of things he wanted to do. That’s the one thing I don’t want to do, have this list of things that I should have done.”
Where is Olympic star Daley Thompson now?
Daley Thompson now works as an inspirational athletics speaker at corporate events. He has also worked as a pundit for the BBC and Talksport.
In 2015, he opened his own gym, Daley Fitness, located on Upper Richmond Road in London. In 2018, he joined Masterchef Gary Barnshaw and co founded DT10 Sports, creating and selling a range of low-sugar protein shakes and sports bars.
He’s also a dad of five, including three younger children with his partner Lisa Clayton.
How old is Daley? Where is he from?
Francis Morgan Ayodélé Thompson was born on July 30, 1958, in Notting Hill, London.
He is currently 65 years of age.
Daley was the second son of British Nigerian Frank Thompson, who ran a minicab firm. Daley’s mum Lydia was Scottish. After his parents split up when he was just six, Lydia sent Daley to Farney Close Boarding School in Bolney, Sussex.
He later described the school as “a place for troubled children”.
Who is the wife of Daley Thompson?
Daley Thompson married his first wife Patricia ‘Tish’ Quinlan in 1987. The pair were childhood sweethearts, and had three children together – daughter Rachel, and sons Elliot and Austin – who are all now grown up.
Daley then met Lisa Clayton in the late 1990s [reportedly while still married], and they had an on-off relationship which eventually ended for good in 2016. They now share custody of their two sons Alex, and Aaron.
Speaking to the Mirror in 2018, Daley admitted he was looking for love. He said: “I’m always on the lookout for the next Mrs Thompson. I reckon it’s even more important when you’re 60, having someone to share all of those things with. I’m looking for someone with a good sense of humour, who is fairly independent.”
He also admitted that his kids keep him “grounded”.
Daley: Olympic Superstar on BBC Two
BBC Two documentary Daley: Olympic Superstar looks at the life and career of double Olympic decathlon champion, Daley Thompson. It features rarely seen archive footage.
The programme explores the personal struggles he faced to rise from the humblest of beginnings and become the ultimate Olympian, while revealing what it took to become the greatest all around athlete in the world.
Read more: The One Show host Sam Quek: Her rise to fame and Olympic gold win
Daley: Olympic Superstar airs on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at 9pm on BBC Two.
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