A chip off the starting block! Athlete Daley’s son scores top PE mark
THE son of former decathlete Daley Thompson made his father proud yesterday after scoring the highest mark at his school in – surprise, surprise – PE.
Alex Clayton also scored 9s in double science and maths.
Arriving at Brighton College with his parents, the 16-year-old rugby player said: ‘I’m absolutely chuffed with the results. It’s much, much better than I was expecting, so I am delighted.’
Mr Thompson, who won the decathlon gold medal at the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games, praised his son’s dedication.
He said: ‘He’s worked hard, it’s a great score. He’s put in the time and he got the results. In life you get what you deserve.’
The four time world record breaker, 60, said he was fully supportive of his son’s love of rugby, but added: ‘For his mum and me, the exams are more important at the moment. It will set him up for later on.
‘He’s put in the work and he’s got the results so we’re really pleased.’
Alex’s school led the GCSE charge yesterday, with ten pupils gaining a clean sweep of 9s.
A staggering 38 per cent of all grades at the private school hit the top score under the new tougher grading system.
For now, Alex will return to Brighton College to study maths, physics and DT at A- level, with hopes of studying aeronautical engineering at Loughborough University.
But his sights are set on rugby – he has been a youth team member of the Harlequins for five years and plans to go professional. He added: ‘I would love to play rugby professionally. That’s the goal. I suppose I’m following in dad’s footsteps a bit, but more rugby-focused.’
He also scored an 8 in geography, 6 in English literature, and received an A* in design and technology.