Daley Thompson

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AshtonBlueMooner

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Absolutely hero worshipped Daley many years ago. What an athlete, unbelievable desire to win and also the leading light in track and field late 70’s, early 80’s for team GB.
However, just watched the documentary on him and got to say, he doesn’t come across great. Maybe it’s the editing or something but unfortunately it’s really tainted my opinion of him.
Anyone else seen the documentary? Am I being too harsh?
 
AshtonBlueMooner said:
Absolutely hero worshipped Daley many years ago. What an athlete, unbelievable desire to win and also the leading light in track and field late 70’s, early 80’s for team GB.
However, just watched the documentary on him and got to say, he doesn’t come across great. Maybe it’s the editing or something but unfortunately it’s really tainted my opinion of him.
Anyone else seen the documentary? Am I being too harsh?
Click to expand...

Why? Is he a rag?
 
AshtonBlueMooner said:
Absolutely hero worshipped Daley many years ago. What an athlete, unbelievable desire to win and also the leading light in track and field late 70’s, early 80’s for team GB.
However, just watched the documentary on him and got to say, he doesn’t come across great. Maybe it’s the editing or something but unfortunately it’s really tainted my opinion of him.
Anyone else seen the documentary? Am I being too harsh?
Click to expand...
He had a very tough upbringing and went on to be an Olympic champion. Respect from me.
 
AshtonBlueMooner said:
Absolutely hero worshipped Daley many years ago. What an athlete, unbelievable desire to win and also the leading light in track and field late 70’s, early 80’s for team GB.
However, just watched the documentary on him and got to say, he doesn’t come across great. Maybe it’s the editing or something but unfortunately it’s really tainted my opinion of him.
Anyone else seen the documentary? Am I being too harsh?
Click to expand...

I'll give it a watch, but can believe how he might come across. He was on one hand, an inspirational, happy go lucky character, but definitely had another side too. The Carl Lewis t-shirt was a pretty grim episode, which suggests a meaner spirit.

Still, there was a nice article about him and doc in the Guardian, by Cath Bishop, who was an Olympic rower, but had a lovely friendship with him a long time past his own peak. Her article certainly suggests the positive side of his character, that made him so popular in the 80s, was genuine.
 
AshtonBlueMooner said:
Absolutely hero worshipped Daley many years ago. What an athlete, unbelievable desire to win and also the leading light in track and field late 70’s, early 80’s for team GB.
However, just watched the documentary on him and got to say, he doesn’t come across great. Maybe it’s the editing or something but unfortunately it’s really tainted my opinion of him.
Anyone else seen the documentary? Am I being too harsh?
Click to expand...
I thought he was tremendously amusing. I did like the bit where he said he didn't want Coe to win his race! Nice that he and HIngtsen are great mates now. They never showed that tee shirt where Daley suggested that he was Germany's favourite son!
 
AshtonBlueMooner said:
Absolutely hero worshipped Daley many years ago. What an athlete, unbelievable desire to win and also the leading light in track and field late 70’s, early 80’s for team GB.
However, just watched the documentary on him and got to say, he doesn’t come across great. Maybe it’s the editing or something but unfortunately it’s really tainted my opinion of him.
Anyone else seen the documentary? Am I being too harsh?
Click to expand...
He was my hero too.
Whilst I can genuinely see why you might feel like that having watching it, it didn’t taint my view of him.

What I would say is, I no longer have any public figures that I’d really refer to as heroes any more. They are human and they are as flawed as the rest of us (in my experience of those I’ve met or got to know more about of the years), so it’s probably more a reflection on us pal.

But he is still my favourite athlete of that/any era, regardless of any faults.

TL;DR
Yes, I think you’re being a tad harsh!
 
He was box office.
After the medal ceremony he'd always say to camera, "The Big G Boys. The Big G!!!"

Think he was one of the lads who was just ultra-competitive and would do anything to get under the skin of his rivals.

Also not many decathletes would be big time enough to taunt the 100m champion. He did.
 
I watched the other night on BBC2. It jogged my memory of many things Thompson did throughout his career, both on and off the track. The t-shirt he wore about Carl Lewis, who at the time was getting all the headlines for being 100 metres and long jump champion. I distinctly remember it at the time and Thompson now says he hopes Carl isn’t or wasn’t upset by the t-shirt as no harm was meant. I was thinking it’s all well and good saying it now, but you must have meant something by it then. Having put that side of him to one side, he was an unbelievable athlete and as I recall a bit of a Jack the lad.
 
When Sharon Davies said that he told her that he was going to 'have her' in the pool I thought here we go....
 
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