Linford Christie

Jamaican-born British sprinter Linford Christie was the only British man to have won gold medals in the 100 metres at all four major competitions open to British athletes: Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Christie collected more major medals (24) than any other British male sprinter at the Olympics, World and European Championships as well as the Commonwealth Games.

Along with his 1992 Barcelona gold he won the 100m World title in 1993, the 1986 European crown and 1990 and 1994 Commonwealth Games. He was also the first European to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 m (in 1988). Christie won Olympic gold aged 32 – becoming the oldest Olympic 100m champion by four years and 38 days.

In Barcelona in 1992 Christie became the third British athlete to win the Olympic 100m, after Harold Abrahams and Allan Wells. The reigning Olympic champion was disqualified in the final of the 100m in Atlanta four years later after false starting twice. It was his last major race before his retirement from athletics the following year.

Christie was banned from competition for two years in 1999 having already officially retired when banned substance nandrolone was found in his blood sample. He was cleared by UK Athletics but the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) overturned the decision and banned him for two years. Christie claimed he was not guilty and has supported anti-doping measures, stating his total opposition to the use of drugs in athletics. He was then banned for life by the British Olympic Association.

PERSONAL BESTs
100m: 9.87
200m: 20.09 

 TRIVIA
♦ Christie was born in Saint Andrew in Jamaica, where he grew up with two elder sisters and was brought up by his grandmother.

♦ At the age of seven he followed his parents, who had emigrated to London, England, five years before. His father came to Britain first, then his mother who was a nurse, then he and his sisters.

♦ He was educated at Henry Compton Secondary School in Fulham, London and excelled in physical education.

♦ He didn’t know he could run until a teacher told him that he was fast. He did not take up athletics seriously until he was 19.

♦ He won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 1993.

♦ In 2010, he was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame and in 2009 he was inducted into the London Youth Games Hall of Fame.

♦ After retirement he served as an athletics coach, a philanthropist, and known as the co-founder of Street Athletics.

♦ Christie hosted the BBC show “Record Breakers” from 1998 to 2000.

♦ Christie appeared as himself in the 1999 film “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”

♦ He was awarded the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1990 and Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998.

♦ Books on him:
Linford Christie: An Autobiography by Linford Christie and Tony Ward
To be Honest with You by Linford Christie
My Story by Linford Christie
A Year in the Life of: Linford Christie by Linford Christie, Jon Nicholson
Linford Christie (Die Lupe) by Gwen Berwick, Sydney Thorne
Livewire Real Lives: Linford Christie by Mike Wilson
Linford Christie by Duncan MacKay


Text by Evren Özüyener