BBC programme about the iconic British decathlete is a must-watch for athletics fans young and old

The stylish and much-hyped Netflix series Sprint has attracted much attention in recent weeks, but when it comes to track and field documentaries Daley: Olympic Superstar is this summers quiet hit.

The life story of the two-time Olympic decathlon champion was tucked away on BBC2 this month but has enjoyed rave reviews from those who have seen it. Unlike the Netflix series, it is a rugged tale of a bona fide athletics legend which is long overdue being made.

The documentary mixes beautiful archive footage with contemporary interviews with not only Thompson, who turns 66 this month, but Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce, the 1976 Olympic champion), Seb Coe, Steve Cram, Tessa Sanderson, Denise Lewis, Linford Christie, Colin Jackson, Frank Dick, his early coach Bob Mortimer, swimmer and ex-girlfriend Sharron Davies and, maybe best of all, his giant adversary Jürgen Hingsen. I dont think I would have trained as hard if I didnt have him, says Thompson on his big German rival.

Since the programme aired, Coe even admits he learned a few things in the documentary about Thompson despite being a close friend and regular training partner in the gym for half a century.

Thompson talks openly in the documentary about his rogue of a father who was shot dead when he was a youngster. His mother, meanwhile, didnt come to watch any of his athletics competitions until 1986. Isnt that strange? he asks, in one of several moments of raw reflection.

Thompson visits the working class Notting Hill area he grew up in and chats to a lifelong friend from his childhood. There are nostalgic scenes of him training and competing as a teenager surviving on hand-outs and living in a council flat in his early years and you get a sense of the kind of grit, determination and unwavering belief in himself that he possessed to become the worlds greatest all-round sportsman in the 1980s.

Jenner, for example, tells an amusing story about the 1976 Montreal Olympics when he won gold and Thompson finished 18^th on his 18th birthday. Daley wouldnt stop talking, remembers Jenner. Im in the middle of trying to win the Games and he just kept asking me questions.

Jenner adds: After I won, some media guy asked me who would win next time and I said his name is Daley Thompson because hes hungry and he wants to learn.

Such was his athleticism, a recent poll in AW judged him Britains greatest ever Olympian. As well as his Olympic titles, of course, he won the world title in 1983, two European golds, three Commonwealth crowns and set world records to boot.

Thompson was incredibly competitive and the ultimate alpha male in an athletics arena. This is perhaps best illustrated when he reveals that he didnt want his friend Coe to successfully defend his Olympic 1500m title in 1984 as it would detract slightly from his own achievement of winning decathlon gold in 1980 and 1984.

No topics are off limits. He is asked about his outrageous t-shirt worn at the 1984 Olympics which asked if the worlds second greatest athlete was gay a jibe blatantly aimed at Carl Lewis. Similarly, the documentary tackles his controversial whistling on the podium in LA and his accidental swearing on the BBC sports personality show. Largely in each case, he comes across as a regretful figure who wishes some of the incidents hadnt happened. He didnt mean to offend anyone, he says, but at the same time doesnt give the impression hes lost much sleep over the years since they happened.

Thompson has a reputation for being prickly with media and there are plenty of horror stories in the sport. At times he was obnoxious and seemed to have a chip on both shoulders, says long-time Sun journalist Colin Hart. One of the mildest examples is that he would mischievously challenge journalists to list the 10 events of the decathlon, in order, before granting them an interview.

While I wasnt faced with that question, Ive spoken to him a few times over the years and hes always been pleasant. Indeed, when the wind is blowing in the right direction there are surely few athletes who are so charming.

Maybe Thompson has mellowed over the years. It took him to 65 to grow up, says Davies, but there you go.

He admits in the documentary that he wasnt the best father to his children during their early years and regrets getting divorced. It was probably a mistake, he says, as I was going through a period when I wasnt too happy.

But there are also heart-warming clips of him accompanying his son, Elliot, to decathlon competitions, which include winning the British title in 2022. Thompson also reveals he discovered his mum had kept a shrine of athletics memorabilia despite barely watching him compete in person.

If people are going to remember me, he says, Id like to think that I always gave my best and am the father of five wonderful children, before adding with a grin: And an incredible decathlete.

There are some gaps in the programme. I would have liked to have seen footage of him winning the inaugural world title in Helsinki, for example. But I am splitting hairs as obviously not everything can be included in a 90-minute programme that is otherwise tightly edited.

Fans of 1980s nostalgia, will enjoy seeing a cameo from Superstars plus the vintage computer game that bears his name. Theres not a day since 1984 when someone doesnt come up to me wanting to talk about the game, he says. I wish Id had a pound for every person whod used it.

Thompsons injury struggles in the twilight of his career and subsequent dalliance with football are also covered. I was having loads of fun, Thompson says about football, but it wasnt being the best in the world kind of fun.

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The most emotional moment is perhaps at near the end when he revisits the Coliseum in Los Angeles and meets Hingsen. The inevitable trash talk ensues but it is good natured and tongue-in-cheek. Thompson reveals a new t-shirt too, which reads: Jürgen, its not the winning but the taking part.

I feel happy when I see him, Hingsen smiles, as the pair reminisce on their titanic battles of yesteryear. Hes my better half. Thats my Daley, thats my friend.

When it comes to a verdict on an inspirational documentary about the worlds greatest decathlete, what score can I possibly offer than a perfect 10 out of 10?

Daley: Olympic Superstar is available on iPlayer here