Thompson was not among six British Olympians chosen last month by Camelot to appear on a new National Lottery scratch card despite having won the decathlon at the 1980 and 1984 Games, the second occasion setting a world record.

 

Sebastian Coe, the London 2012 chairman and a long-time close friend of Thompson's, admitted he was "stunned".

 

But Thompson told The Guardian in an interview published today:  "I'm not too fussed.

 

"I don't need to be winning popularity competitions.

 

"I've never been interested in that.

 

"But I think that a lot of people were surprised.

 

"I'd like to think that when they do the next 10, 20 or 30 that I might just be able to sneak into one of those."

 

Another survey published after the Lottery one, though, claimed that Thompson is Britain's favourite athlete after he polled 22 per cent of the vote, six more than rower Sir Steven Redgrave.

 

That proved he had not been forgotten but Thompson claimed he would not be bothered if he had been.

 

He said: "I have absolutely no idea whether they [the public] have [forgotten me] or not, but I don't think they have.

 

"It would be interesting if somebody could find out why somebody like me doesn't make it onto a list like that, though.

 

"It's interesting the kind of people they do have on there.

 

"It's interesting that I'm not on there.

 

"It's interesting who they consider to be Britain's favourite Olympians."

 

To read a full transcript of the interview visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jul/14/olympicgames2008.athletics7?gusrc=rss&feed=sport.