He won the decathlon gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984, and broke the world record for the event four times.

[4] At seven years old, Lydia sent Thompson to Farney Close Boarding School, Bolney, Sussex, which he described as "a place for troubled children".

[4] Initially, he was a member of Haywards Heath Harriers, but when he returned to London in 1975 he joined the Newham and Essex Beagles Athletics club, training as a sprinter.

In 1979, he failed to finish in his only decathlon of that year, but won the long jump at the UK Championships.

When the photo-finish pictures were examined, however, it was found that Thompson should have been credited with one more point in the 110 metres hurdles so he had in fact, equalled Hingsen's record.

Thompson's two victories in the Olympic decathlon are a feat shared only with the Americans Bob Mathias and Ashton Eaton.

In 2002, Thompson's successful defence of his Olympic title was ranked number 34 on Channel 4's poll of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments.

Thompson's rivalry with West German athlete Jürgen Hingsen was legendary in the sport throughout the 1980s.

The pair constantly traded world records, but Thompson always had the upper hand in the major events, remaining undefeated in all competitions for nine years between 1978 and 1987.

[16] In 2015, Thompson opened his own gym, Daley Fitness, located on Upper Richmond Road in London.

[17] Thompson was a natural showman who endeared himself to the British public with his irreverent personality and anti-establishment attitude.

[21] In 2012, Thompson was accused of anti-Irish sentiment after commenting on live BBC TV that the creator of a misspelled tattoo "must have been Irish".

[22][23][24] In August 2014, Thompson was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's referendum on that issue.