Athletics legend Daley Thompson backs Brisbane’s bid for the 2032 Olympics
One of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen, Daley Thompson believes Brisbane has everything it needs to be an Olympic Games host.
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England’s Daley Thompson was the world’s greatest all-round athlete in the 1980s when he won two Olympic decathlon gold medals. He’s a strong advocate for Brisbane going all-out to host the 2032 Olympics. He told MARCO MONTEVERDE and JIM TUCKER why on his trip to Queensland for a charity bike ride with cricket legend Steve Waugh.
Should south-east Queensland bid for the 2032 Olympics?
Absolutely. As a country you love sport, the weather here is brilliant and if you get an influx of half a million people, you can really put Brisbane on the map in world terms. You guys don’t even know how unbelievable your country is until you go to all the other places. I won’t understand if you don’t bid.
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What did the 2012 Olympics do for London?
What it did for our country was incredible. People talk about legacy but that wasn’t the immediate thing for me as an ambassador for the London Olympics. The best thing was for three weeks we were the happiest place in the world. As far as I’m concerned that’s the best 12 billion quid we’ve ever spent with everyone smiling and happy. I don’t know how much infrastructure you have to build but if you do it properly all the roads, light rail, transport improvements and facilities remain for the future.
Any secrets you’ve kept up under wraps from your gold medal visit to Brisbane for the 1982 Commonwealth Games?
It was a little town back then. No secrets but if you were replayed the opening ceremony I bet the organisers wouldn’t have Rolf Harris involved. I loved Matilda (the giant winking kangaroo mascot). To be honest, I was the most boring bloke in competition. All I did was just go to places to compete. I really didn’t recognise anything when I went back to the old QEII Stadium in Brisbane last year when I was working for British television on the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
How did you strike up such an affinity with Steve Waugh?
Steve and I work with a worldwide sports charity called Laureus and we’ve become really good friends. He’s so different to me and I use him as a role model. He’s much more thoughtful. I’d like to be like him when I grow up. He is lots of things that I would like my kids to me and that I would like me to be because Steve and his wife Lynette really do give back through their foundation to help kids with rare diseases.
You’re here for Steve’s 800km “Captain’s Ride” from Toowoomba to Tamborine Mountain, did cycling come as naturally as sprinting or pole vaulting?
(Laughs) No way. I’d rather be pole vaulting. Sore bum and chafing on the bike the first year. The same the second and third year. I’m still rough and ready. All my qualities in sport were based around speed and power, so 10 seconds. After that I’m at a serious disadvantage. I kinda get through, cycle with the guys at the back and always finish.
What made you chose athletics over football?
I was 16-years-old, I was playing football and I went down to my local athletics club to get fit for a football tour. I had such a good time with the people at my local athletics club, when I came back off the tour, I decided this is what I wanted to do. It was just from meeting nice people. Certain things just change the direction of your life and that was one.
After you finished athletics, you went back to football?
Yes, that’s when I started playing football again (as a centre-half) but my big mistake was that I didn’t start until I was 40. I should have done it when I retired at 33. I started doing fitness and conditioning at football clubs (Wimbledon and Luton Town) which is when I started getting back into it.
When did you realise you were good enough at all 10 decathlon events to make a go of it?
It was another sliding door moment in that I was I doing the sprints, and my sprint coach out of the blue said: “Four of the guys in our athletics club are going to do a decathlon in four weeks and one has chicken pox, do you want to go instead?” I said “I haven’t done seven of the things before”. He said “it doesn’t matter, all you have to do is start, you don’t have to finish, so just do one event. Go and practice if you want.” I went away and practiced for the next four weeks and I won. After that, I knew it was for me.
Does decathlon still have the same glamour, the same excitement as it did in your time?
I don’t think our whole sport has the same (excitement). In my country and Europe, football hoovers up 90 per cent of all the money, all the air time on television, all the newspapers.
All the other sports are struggling. For most other sports it’s tough to get kids in.
Why do you think about Brexit? What will happen?
That’s a very good question. If I could answer that, I’d be a genius. In the next month or two, we’ll be leaving and it’s just a case of doing the deal I assume. For me, if we all believe we’re going, let’s go and sort out the deal, I don’t understand why all the MPs are messing around. Ordinary working class people are bored with it. The people that were supposed to be looking after them, the MPs, they want them to do it and make the best of it. A lot of the things won’t change, because a lot of things are good, it’s just some of the things aren’t any good.
You know what the pressures of top sport are like, what does it signal when a top cricketer like Glenn Maxwell can take a mental health break?
It’s really important. Everything is different in sport today. Some things are better, some things are worse. Definitely, one of the better things is the fact men can now own up to not necessarily feeling great and struggling under the pressure and stress of it all. Before, it wasn’t seen to be macho. People didn’t want to be seen to be weak. There’s much more understanding and help these days. It can’t be any fun trying to do something you love but being crippled by what’s going on in your head and we have seen English cricket examples with Marcus Trescothick and Jonathan Trott. I think that it’s great people can get help, not just sportspeople but people struggling with life.
You still get the fitness message out there with your gym in London?
Health is still a big part of my life. For me, it’s great having a gym but the best thing for me is that every day one or two of my friends pop in, do a little a bit of exercise and a lot of talking. I can’t believe, as the years go by, I seem to get better and better.
Originally published as Athletics legend Daley Thompson backs Brisbane’s bid for the 2032 Olympics