Ten events, two days and one man who made the decathlon box-office viewing in Britain. Daley Thompson won Olympic gold in Moscow in 1980 and again in Los Angeles in 1984, broke the world record four times and, for a glorious spell, held the Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles all at once.
He did it with a grin and a swagger that made him one of Britain's most recognisable sportsmen of the 1980s. Browse more track and field legends in our athletics collection.
Daley Thompson Fact File
| Full name | Francis Morgan Ayodélé Thompson |
| Date of birth | 30 July 1958 (age 68) |
| Place of birth | Notting Hill, London, England |
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Event | Decathlon |
| Nationality | British |
| Status | Retired (1992) |
| Known as | Daley |
Career History
| Year | Championship | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Montreal Olympics | 18th, aged 18 |
| 1978 | Commonwealth Games, Edmonton | Gold |
| 1978 | European Championships, Prague | Silver |
| 1980 | Moscow Olympics | Gold |
| 1982 | European Championships, Athens | Gold (world record) |
| 1982 | Commonwealth Games, Brisbane | Gold |
| 1983 | World Championships, Helsinki | Gold |
| 1984 | Los Angeles Olympics | Gold (world record, 8,847 pts) |
| 1986 | European Championships & Commonwealth Games | Gold at both |
| 1988 | Seoul Olympics | 4th |
Major decathlon results only. The 8,847 points from 1984 is the score after the 1985 re-scoring of the tables; it remains the UK record.
Early Years: From Notting Hill to the Decathlon
Born in Notting Hill to a Nigerian father and a Scottish mother from Dundee, Thompson was sent to Farney Close boarding school in Sussex at the age of seven. Football was his first love.
He joined Haywards Heath Harriers and then, in 1975, Newham & Essex Beagles, where coaches steered him towards the decathlon. Within a year he was AAA champion and on his way to the Montreal Olympics as an 18-year-old, where he finished 18th.
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Breakthrough: Commonwealth Gold and Moscow 1980
The rise was rapid. In 1977 he became European junior champion and broke 8,000 points for the first time. In 1978 he won Commonwealth gold in Edmonton and silver at the European Championships in Prague, the start of an extraordinary run in which he did not lose a decathlon for nine years.
In May 1980 he set his first world record in Götzis, Austria, then took Olympic gold in Moscow that summer, aged 22.
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Peak: Helsinki, Los Angeles and the Grand Slam of Titles
Between 1982 and 1984 Thompson was untouchable. He broke the world record twice in 1982, won European gold in Athens and Commonwealth gold in Brisbane, then claimed the very first world title in Helsinki in 1983. That made him the holder of all four major titles at once.
Los Angeles 1984 sealed his legend. He retained his Olympic crown with a world-record score, now listed as 8,847 points, equalling Bob Mathias as a two-time Olympic decathlon champion.
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Later Career and Retirement
Further European and Commonwealth golds followed in 1986, but injuries then took hold. He finished ninth at the 1987 World Championships, his first decathlon defeat in nine years, and fourth in Seoul in 1988 despite being hampered by injury. A hamstring problem ended his career in 1992.
Honours
Olympic Games
- Gold: Moscow 1980
- Gold: Los Angeles 1984
World Championships
- Gold: Helsinki 1983
European Championships
- Gold: 1982, 1986
- Silver: 1978
- Bronze: 4x100m relay, 1986
Commonwealth Games
- Gold: 1978, 1982, 1986
- Silver: 4x100m relay, 1986
Individual & National
- Four decathlon world records (1980–1984)
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year: 1982
- MBE (1983) and CBE (2000)
Away From the Game
Since retiring, Thompson has worked in fitness and business, opening a Daley Fitness gym in London in 2015 and co-founding DT10 Sports in 2018. He was an ambassador for London's 2012 Olympic bid, published the autobiography Daley: Olympic Superstar in 2024, and his son Elliot won the British decathlon title in 2022.
FAQs
How old is Daley Thompson?
Daley Thompson was born on 30 July 1958, so he is 68 years old.
Where was Daley Thompson born?
He was born in Notting Hill, London, to a Nigerian father and a Scottish mother.
How tall is Daley Thompson?
Thompson stands 1.84 m, which is roughly 6 ft 0 in.
How many Olympic gold medals did Daley Thompson win?
Two. He won the Olympic decathlon in Moscow in 1980 and retained it in Los Angeles in 1984.
What was Daley Thompson's best decathlon score?
His best was 8,847 points (as re-scored) at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. It was a world record until 1992 and remains the UK record.
Did Daley Thompson ever win a world title?
Yes. He won the decathlon at the first World Athletics Championships in Helsinki in 1983.
Shop the Daley Thompson Collection
Wear a piece of British Olympic history with our Daley Thompson designs, made to order in the UK.
Find more track and field heroes in our athletics collection and our Olympics collection. Fancy your own name on the back instead? Design a custom name hoodie.
Part of our Player Profiles series. Read next: Usain Bolt and Carl Lewis.
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