Olympic hero Daley Thompson’s son strikes gold with GCSEs
Budding rugby player Alex Clayton scored the highest mark at Brighton College for PE.
Olympic champion Daley Thompson’s son has scored the highest mark in his school for PE in his GCSEs.
Alex Clayton was celebrating receiving his results at Brighton College on Thursday and hinted at wanting to follow in his athlete father’s footsteps with a sporting career.
The 16-year-old, who lives in the East Sussex city, also scored 9 in double science and maths, 8 in geography, 6 in English literature and language and A* in design and technology (DT).
The Harlequins youth team member of five years has his sights set on becoming a professional rugby player. He plans to return to Brighton College to study maths, physics and DT at A-level with hopes of studying aeronautical engineering at Loughborough University.
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.”
His 60-year-old father, who won two gold medals in the decathlon in the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games and broke the world record four times, joined Alex to collect his results.
Thompson 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 16-year-old, who lives in London and boards at the school, got eight 9s and two 8s.
She said: “I’m pretty overwhelmed.
“I really wasn’t expecting it. I was under the impression no-one was getting any 9s.
“It really hasn’t been that great for me, waiting, I was very anxious. I put a lot of pressure on myself.
“I think the new grade system did put an extra bit of pressure on some people.
“I was most pleased with my 9 in French as I scored really low marks last year but got myself back together.”
She plans to return to study history, English, politics and maths at A-level. She has hopes to study law at university either in America or at Oxbridge before becoming a barrister.
The teenager added: “I think my grandfather would have been really happy for me. He went to Cambridge. These results could help me get there and it would be nice to think I could study in the same place as him.”
