Theo Caplan, a 15-year-old pupil at St Paul’s School in London, has been bending the ears of athletics authorities over the scoring system in the heptathlon which, he says, unfairly disadvantages British Olympic gold-medal hope Jessica Ennis.

Theo, who published his analysis on the blog he runs with his school mate Ned Summers, theaftermatter.com, argues that the way points are awarded discriminates in favour of the shot putt and javelin, Ennis’s weakest events. She stands at an “acute disadvantage,” he said. “Her best events are two of the most under-awarded events, and her weak point, javelin, is the most over-awarded”.