Daley Thompson

Daley Thompson
Thompson at the Laureus Day in June 2007
Personal information
Full nameFrancis Morgan Ayodélé Thompson
NationalityBritish
Born (1958-07-30) 30 July 1958 (age 66)[1]
Notting Hill, London, England[1]
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1]
Weight14 st 7 lb (203 lb; 92 kg)[1]
Sport
SportDecathlon
ClubEssex Beagles
Achievements and titles
Personal bestDecathlon 8,847 points
Medal record
CBE ribbon

Francis Morgan Ayodélé Thompson, CBE (born 30 July 1958[2]), better known as Daley Thompson, is an English former decathlete. He won the decathlon gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984, and broke the world record for the event four times. He was unbeaten in competition for nine years.[3]

With four world records, two Olympic gold medals, three Commonwealth titles and wins in the World and European Championships, Thompson is considered by many to be one of the greatest decathletes of all time. Robert Chalmers described him as "the greatest all-round athlete this country has ever produced."[4] His autobiography, Daley: Olympic Superstar, was published in 2024.[5]

  1. ^ a b c d Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Daley Thompson". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  2. ^ "Daley Thompson". 100Great Black Britons, com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
  3. ^ "Daley Thompson: 'I'd love to help British athletes. I'd be over the moon'". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  4. ^ Chalmers, Robert (27 July 2008). "The champion that time forgot: Why do we find it so hard to love Daley Thompson?". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  5. ^ Thompson, Daley (2024). Daley: Olympic Superstar. London: Chiselbury. ISBN 978-1-916556-48-5.