A Daley reminder of decathlete Thompson’s great achievement

Gold-medal winner Daley Thompson on the podium at the 1984 LA Olympics. Perhaps those now considering awarding honours to athletes returning from Rio could contemplate giving a knighthood to Thompson, Britain’s greatest ever all-round athlete, says Helen Middleton-Price. Photograph: BTS

While the Cabinet Office and various committees are considering the “special circumstances” applying to honours for the victorious and deserving athletes returning from Rio (PM hints at bumper Olympics honours list, 23 August), perhaps they could spend a minute or two contemplating awarding a knighthood to Britain’s greatest ever all-round athlete, Daley Thompson, who won the decathlon in 1980 and 1984 with nothing like the financial support of today’s winners.

At a time when other athletes were awarded knighthoods, he was given the lower-ranking CBE. It leaves some of us wondering whether he was penalised for having a sense of humour… or some other reason.
Helen Middleton-Price
Twickenham, Middlesex

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