Thompson OK with protests

DALEY THOMPSON has backed the right of athletes to protest at next year’s Olympics.

He also expects Games chiefs to relax their ban on demonstrations.

Under the Olympic Charter athletes are forbidden from taking any kind of political stand.

But the decathlon legend reckons the global uproar over George Floyd’s death in the USA will change that.

“Athletes are people, they are not automatons,” said Thompson, 61, Olympic champion in 1980 and 1984.

“Some will feel strongly enough to want to take a knee, to do whatever they feel is their responsibility to do.

“There should be, whether it’s on the podium or not, a forum for them to stand up and be counted.

“It’s an important cause. All lives matter. Nobody, whether you are white, black, any nationality, deserves to be killed for the colour of your skin or for simple prejudice. I think the IOC will allow the athlete some degree of choice.”

Thompson, who as a Laureus Academy Member helps disadvantaged young people around the world, feels frustrated at the pace of change over racism.

“You’d think 60 years after I was born that things would be getting better,” he said. “They are, in loads of different areas in our lives, but certain areas haven’t changed a lot. Racism is one.”

Thompson insists that the year-long postponement of the Tokyo Games would not have hurt him were he still competing as “I’d have convinced myself that another nine months of hard work would only make me better”.

He reckons Katarina Johnsonthompson will take it in her stride and has the potential to eclipse Jess Ennis-hill and Denise Lewis as Britain’s greatest heptathlete.

“The great thing about sport is that you have to continuously answer the question, ‘Can I cope next time?’” he said. “Kat knows she can and it’s so good to see her grow mentally into her physical ability.

“If she comes into Tokyo with the same confidence she had last year, I see no reason why (a) she can’t get better and

(b) she can’t win.”