Daley Thompson (4)

Apr 06, 2025

Daley Thompson is a legend! He dominated the decathlon for nearly a decade, winning two Olympic gold medals, two European Championships gold medals and also became decathlon World champion. Between 1980 and 1986, he went undefeated in all competitions.

Great Britain

Date of birth: 30 July 1958
Place of birth: London, UK
Height: 185cm / Weight: 88kg
Decathlon: 8847 ® Los Angeles 1984
Short biography
Full career

Personal bests
100 m	10,26 (+2.0)	Stuttgart 1986
Long jump	8.11 (+6.2)	Edmonton 1978
Shot put	16.10	Walnut 1984
High jump	2.14	Amarillo 1982
400 m	46,86	Götzis 1982
110 m hurdles	14,04 (-0.3)	Stuttgart 1986
Discus throw	49.10	Stanford 1986
Pole vault	5.25	London 1986
Javelin throw	65.38	Götzis 1980
1500 m	4.20,3	Cwmbran 1976
Total points based on PB	9315
Total 10 best decathlons	86905

Decathlons over 8000 points (18)
Pts	Results	1st day	2nd day	P	Venue
8056	10,5 - 7.60 - 13.85 - 2.07 - 47,4 - 15,1 - 39.60 - 4.80 - 50.32 - 4.29,0	4398	3658	1	Madrid 1977
8082	10,70 - 7.54 - 13.84 - 2.01 - 47,31 - 15,26 - 41.70 - 4.70 - 54.48 - 4.30,4	4349	3733	1	Sittard 1977
8226	10,77 - 7.95 - 13.89 - 2.03 - 47,76 - 14,85 - 41.40 - 4.60 - 56.90 - 4.29,11	4434	3792	2	Götzis 1978
8470 W	10,50 - 8.11 - 14.43 - 2.07 - 47,85 - 14,92 - 41.68 - 4.80 - 56.60 - 4.25,78	4603	3867	1	Edmonton 1978
8258	10,69 - 7.93 - 14.69 - 2.04 - 47,77 - 15,28 - 43.52 - 4.20 - 59.80 - 4.22,8	4505	3753	2	Prague 1978
8648	10,55 - 7.72 - 14.46 - 2.11 - 48,04 - 14,37 - 42.98 - 4.90 - 65.38 - 4.25,49	4523	4125	1	Götzis 1980 ®
8522	10,62 - 8.00 - 15.18 - 2.08 - 48,01 - 14,47 - 42.24 - 4.70 - 64.16 - 4.39,90	4596	3926	1	Moscow 1980
8730	10,50 - 7.95 - 15.31 - 2.08 - 46,86 - 14,31 - 44.34 - 4.90 - 60.52 - 4.30,55	4675	4055	1	Götzis 1982
8774	10,51 - 7.80 - 15.44 - 2.03 - 47,11 - 14,39 - 45.48 - 5.00 - 63.56 - 4.23,71	4584	4190	1	Athens 1982 ®
8424	10,66 - 7.71 - 15.17 - 2.04 - 47,59 - 15,00 - 44.58 - 4.90 - 62.98 - 4.43,48	4494	3930	1	Brisbane 1982
8529 W	10,44 - 7.63 - 15.38 - 2.09 - 48,73 - 14,46 - 42.20 - 5.10 - 62.04 - 4.42,58	4530	3999	1	Etobicoke 1983
8714	10,60 - 7.88 - 15.35 - 2.03 - 48,12 - 14,37 - 44.46 - 5.10 - 65.24 - 4.29,72	4527	4187	1	Helsinki 1983
8847	10,44 - 8.01 - 15.72 - 2.03 - 46,97 - 14,33 - 46.56 - 5.00 - 65.24 - 4.35,00	4677	4170	1	Los Angeles 1984 ®
8667	10,56 - 7.81 - 15.39 - 1.98 - 47,52 - 14,35 - 47.62 - 4.90 - 63.28 - 4.30,04	4505	4162	1	Arles 1986
8663	10,37 - 7.70 - 15.01 - 2.08 - 47,30 - 14,22 - 43.72 - 5.10 - 60.82 - 4.39,63	4602	4061	1	Edinburgh 1986
8811	10,26 - 7.72 - 15.73 - 2.00 - 47,02 - 14,04 - 43.38 - 5.10 - 62.78 - 4.26,16	4617	4194	1	Stuttgart 1986
8124	10,67 - 7.52 - 15.09 - 2.01 - 48,61 - 14,87 - 45.18 - 4.80 - 54.14 - 4.48,78	4363	3761	9	Roma 1987
8306	10,62 - 7.38 - 15.02 - 2.03 - 49,06 - 14,72 - 44.80 - 4.90 - 64.04 - 4.45,11	4332	3974	4	Seoul 1988

International medals (10)
Year	Venue	Championships	Event	Total	Medal
1977	Donetsk 1977	U20 European	Decathlon	7568	Gold
1978	Edmonton 1978	Commonwealth Games	Decathlon	8470W	Gold
1978	Prague 1978	European	Decathlon	8258	Silver
1980	Moscow 1980	Olympic Games	Decathlon	8522	Gold
1982	Athens 1982	European	Decathlon	8774 ®	Gold
1982	Brisbane 1982	Commonwealth Games	Decathlon	8424	Gold
1983	Helsinki 1983	World	Decathlon	8714	Gold
1984	Los Angeles 1984	Olympic Games	Decathlon	8847 ®	Gold
1986	Edinburgh 1986	Commonwealth Games	Decathlon	8663	Gold
1986	Stuttgart 1986	European	Decathlon	8811	Gold

® - Decathlon’s World Record
W one event with wind >4.0 and wind average for 3 events > 2.00 m/s (IAAF rule until 31/12/2009)

Comments (4)

Dudley Ristow wrote on Aug 23, 2009

The mega sports Hero of my more youthful period - who can possibly forget the glory of the decathlon battlefields on which Daley and Jurgen Hingsen fought with such a small sum of final points separating these two decathlon legends?

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IP: 196.25.2...

ChrisB wrote on Feb 09, 2010

In the "Full career" , on this page, there is no mark for 60metres no for 60 hurdles
http://www.uka.org.uk/e-inspire/hall-of-fame.../da... gives respectively 6.84 and 8.04 and other personal bests:
Decathlon 8847 (1984) 100m 10.26 (1986), 200m 20.88 (1979), 400m 46.86 (1982), 1500m 4:20.3 (1976), 110mh 14.04 (1986), 400mh 52.14 (1986), high jump 2.11 (1980); pole vault 5.25m (1986), long jump 8.01 (1984), 8.11w (1978); shot 16.10 (1984), discus 49.10m (1986), javelin 65.38 (1980), new specification 64.04 (1988).

Indoors: 60m 6.84 (1988), 200m 21.96 (1988), 300m 34.16 (1987), 55mh 7.48 (1984), 60mh 8.04 (1987), HJ 2.14 (1982), PV 5.10 (1987), LJ 7.72 (1982)
Greetings Chris

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IP: 78.22.22...

eierluke wrote on Aug 18, 2011

I've found additional details (15. June 1986) on Daley Thompsons PB in pole vault:
31 5.25 5.25 PB Daley Thompson 30.07.58 Newham & Essex Beagles Hendon 15 Jun 86
source: http://www.thepowerof10.info/rankings/rankinglist....
Best wishes, Sven

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eierluke wrote on Aug 18, 2011

and here is the high jump (20. Feb 1982):
2.14 i 2.14i PB Daley Thompson 30.07.58 Newham & Essex Beagles Canyon TX, USA 20 Feb 82
source: http://www.thepowerof10.info/rankings/rankinglist....

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Daley Thompson to tutor future athletes

Daley Thompson’s biography

Götzis 1980

European Championships Stuttgart 1986

Olympic Games Los Angeles 1984

World Championships Helsinki 1983

European Championships Athens 1982

Olympic Games Moscow 1980