‘I couldn’t be more proud’: Olympic legend Daley Thompson heaps praise on his son Elliot for winning the British decathlon title in Manchester… 46 years after his father first won it!
- Daley Thompson said he ‘couldn’t be more proud’ of his son Elliot’s title win
- Elliot Thompson won the British decathlon title 46 years after his dad first did
- Daley heaped praise on his son for managing to step out from under his shadow
- After winning, Elliot Thompson has chosen to step down from full-time athletics
Daley Thompson says he ‘couldn’t be more proud’ after his son Elliot followed in his footsteps by winning the British decathlon title.
At 29, Elliot Thompson has had a slow-burning career since taking up the sport in 2016, but had his biggest moment by far in taking the crown in Manchester on Saturday.
His famous father, the double Olympic champion, was following events from home in London, but was ecstatic as his son stepped out of what is arguably the biggest shadow in British sport. It came 46 years after he won the same title for the first time.
He told Sportsmail on Sunday: ‘It’s fantastic. I honestly couldn’t be more proud of him. He is living proof that hard work, patience and sticking at it pays off.
‘It was never going to be easy for him because it never is for the kids of people who have been good at something. He was always going to have that, especially doing the same event as me, and people put high expectations on him. Now he is a national champion and I am just delighted.
‘It’s just a shame he only took it up a few years ago. Who knows where he might have got to, but this is fantastic.’
Daley Thompson has praised his son Elliot (pictured) for winning the British decathlon title
Daley Thompson is British athletics royalty as a double Olympic champion in the decathlon
After taking the title, Elliot Thompson said he would be stepping down from full-time athletics to take a job as an APP developer.
He also laughed off the idea of ever having a coaching relationship with his father because ‘he’s an awful coach – I think when it comes naturally to you, it’s quite difficult to describe sometimes!’
Daley Thompson said: ‘He is starting a new job on Monday and going part-time. To be fair that’s the way we used to do it in the old days, so good luck to him. Maybe he will reassess but good luck to him.
‘We have already spoken on the phone three times today – he is absolutely overjoyed. I couldn’t be more proud of him. He has worked so hard for this and now he is the British champion. Good lad.’
Thompson (centre) beat silver winner Caius Joseph (left) and bronze winner Jack Turner (right)
Daley praised Elliot for stepping out of his shadow, saying it ‘was never going to be easy’
After winning the title, Elliot Thompson has chosen to step down from full-time athletics
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