If you ask people what they remember about Daley Thompson you will probably get one of two answers.

Some will say he was the world's greatest all-round athlete, who went on to win two Olympic gold medals and was undefeated in the decathlon from 1980 to 1987. Others will simply say he was athlete who whistled through the national anthem when standing on the medal podium at the Los Angeles Olympics.

But whatever your memories of the man, he was the face of British athletics in the 1980s, and he could run, jump, hurdle, throw — and even make you laugh with some of his antics - just for good measure he won everything in sight.

Before retiring in 1992, he set four world records, won gold at the World Championships in 1983, the European title in 1982 and 1986, and top honours at the Commonwealth Games in 1978, 1982 and 1986. He won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 1982, and his tussles with Jurgen Hingsen, his West German foe, had become the stuff of British sporting folklore.

His hair may be greying slightly, but his look has hardly changed since he stamped his image on the nation’s consciousness by winning gold in the decathlon at the Moscow Olympics in 1980. By the time Thompson successfully defended his title four years later in Los Angeles, he was a household name.

What are your first memories of the Olympic Games?
I wasn't really aware of the Olympics for a long time when I was growing up. It was football that I was really interested in, so for a long time the Olympics passed me by.

Who were your sporting heroes growing up?
I had just had the one hero and that was Muhammed Ali. You only need one when he's that big. An amazing guy and just an inspiration for me.

When did the Olympics first capture your imagination?
I started to watch bits of the Games in 1972 in Munich. I remember hearing one of the commentators saying the words 'the fastest man in the world'. I think that tag stuck with me, I thought wow, I would like have a go at becoming the fastest man in the world. It went from there really.

What do you remember of the first time you competed at the Games?
My first memories of the Olympics themselves were going to Montreal in '76 as a 17-year-old.

It was three weeks after my O Levels and there I was walking into a huge dining room filled with the best athletes, the best swimmers, the best sportsmen in the world.

That was probably, looking back, my favourite moment at the Olympics, because you just can't beat that. It was an amazing experience.

Did one Olympic gold medal mean more to you than another?
I wouldn't put one above the other, they were just as special to me.

I am a great believer that you can only beat what is put in front of you. So I would never say that Los Angeles meant more to me than the gold medal I won in Moscow.

What was going through your head when you whistled the national anthem on top of the podium in Los Angeles?
Nothing. I don't know why I did it, I just fancied a whistle. I thought they're playing my song up there and I fancy whistling along, that was about it.

Is the Games a different event to when you competed?
I think the Olympics has changed a lot. It's a much bigger event, there's more money involved and there's a lot more pressure. It's a shame because athletes just don't look like they are having as much fun out there as we did.

I think you have still got the talent and the ability out there but you just don't get the personalities anymore and that is a real shame for everybody.

Can any of the current crop of multi-eventers follow in your footsteps and win gold in Beijing?
Let's be honest here, they're pretty big footsteps to fill!

But I think Kelly Sotherton has got a great chance of winning a medal this summer. Her only problem is in the javelin, which is by far her weakest event. When the pressure comes on that's when the problems start. But if she can throw closer to 40 metres than 30 then she is in with a real shout.

What about Great Britain's chances of success in 2012?
I'm optimistic about 2012. I think that the talent is out there, it's just a question of whether we can bring it through. The talent will always be there and it's down to us to make sure we nurture it.

Daley Thompson is the ambassador for Nestle Go Free. This summer, selected Nestle products will have special vouchers on the labels, which allow consumers to arrange sports sessions free of charge.