Daley Thompson: Athletics
Francis Morgan Ayodélé "Daley" Thompson CBE (born: July 30, 1958) is a retired English decathlete, winning the gold decathlon gold medal at the Olympics in 1980 and 1984 and broke the event’s world record four times. He started competing in 1975 and won every event he entered from 1978 to 1988. In 1992, he was forced to retire due to a persistent hamstring injury.
Greatest Sporting Achievements
Daley Thompson is the greatest decathlete the world has ever seen with four world records, two Olympic gold medals, three Commonwealth titles, numerous World and European Championship awards. He was awarded the MBE in 1982, the OBE in 1986 and the CBE in 2000.
Why Was He So Good?
Daley Thompson’s father was a taxi driver and was shot when he was only seven. He overcame the brutal murder of his dad to become the greatest athlete in history. Although he is known to be “rude and not destined to become a sport diplomat”, he always thrilled the crowds with his competitive ability and his ongoing battles with his competitors who dominated the sport during those periods.
What You May Not Know
- In the 90s, he played professional football for Mansfield Town and Stevenage Borough F.C. and Ilkeston F.C.
- Thompson also became a fitness coach for Wimbledon F.C. and Luton Town football clubs.
- In 1994, Daley Thompson took part in motorsport entering the Ford Credit Fiesta Challenge Championship.
He became an ambassador for the London 2012 Summer Olympics.
Related Pages
- More from athletics
- Athlete Database home
- About the sport of athletics
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