Daley Thompson reaches 50 years as British decathlon record-holder

Daley Thompson has completed half a century as Britain's decathlon record-holder, becoming the first British athlete to reach that milestone with a national record, according to The Guardian. In an interview published on 2 October, the double Olympic champion discussed the anniversary alongside the financial difficulties of his early career and his continued involvement in training at the age of 68.

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Thompson first took the British record in September 1976 at Talence in France, exceeding Peter Gabbett's mark by four points. That performance followed his appearance at the Montreal Olympics, where he finished 18th. He told The Guardian that his confidence in his potential had come earlier, during his first decathlon at Cwmbran in 1975, when he was 17.

The national-record anniversary adds another distinction to a career that included two Olympic decathlon titles, four world records and a nine-year unbeaten run. Thompson was also named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1982. Reflecting on recognition of those achievements, he said a knighthood would be welcome, particularly for people who had supported him, but would not change his life.

Thompson described a much less comfortable financial background to his success than his sporting profile might suggest. He said he continued sleeping on floors and sofas during warm-weather training trips to California even after becoming Olympic champion. His recollections also included receiving help to obtain athletics shoes as a youngster and earning little during the early years of his career.

The computer game Daley Thompson's Decathlon eventually provided a significant payment. Thompson estimated that he earned about £20,000 from the game, which The Guardian reported sold more than a million copies and produced two sequels. He said supporters still approach him to recall the damage they did to keyboards while playing it, decades after its 1984 release.

His present routine remains active: Thompson said he exercises four or five times a week and trains a group in Battersea Park on Saturday mornings. The sessions bring together people in their 40s, 50s and 60s. He also continues to see former rival Jürgen Hingsen and remains close to Sebastian Coe, describing the lasting friendships from athletics as a source of enjoyment beyond his competitive achievements.