Daley Thompson interview: Time for IOC to stand up and defend women’s sport

Daley Thompson is a crucial figure in agitating against injustice of biological males competing in women’s sport.

Long before sex tests revealed two boxers as having XY chromosomes, the male pattern, he was warning of the gathering storm.

At 66 , Thompson could be forgiven for ducking the toxic blowback this debate unleashes.

But he feels strongly enough to rebuke the International Olympic Committee for neglecting to protect the female category.

In a poll conducted during these Olympics , Telegraph readers voted for him as the country’s third greatest sportsperson of all time, behind only Andy Murray and Bobby Charlton .

The received wisdom is that he has simply been too strident, too disdainful of authority, to be granted the ultimate establishment honour.

Thompson would even keep diaries to ensure every day yielded superior results to the year before .

Daley Thompson has been on a river cruise along the Seine with Sir Steve Redgrave .

Redgrave once said track and field was a tougher sport than rowing.

Marcus Smith , the England rugby team’s superstar fly-half, is one who has already leant on him for advice.