Linford Christie

C_f_W

Very sad, bitter man with a very big chip on his shoulder...
Angry Christie makes racism claim

I used to think the world of this guy and what he achieved but after he was outed for using drugs he seemed to descend into self-pity and constant denail. Maybe it's just the way this piece has been put together and the full interview may do him justice but the little respect I had for him has almost gone.

Kap10

He tarnished his legacy with his drugs conviction, that is why he is not carrying any olympic torch end of!

DaveMehmet

Always thought he was a w*nker

Tavern

[cite]Posted By: DaveMehmet[/cite]Always thought he was a w*nker

ME 2

DaveMehmet

"Always thought he was a w*nker

ME 2"

No, I've always liked you I!!

Tavern

[cite]Posted By: DaveMehmet[/cite]"Always thought he was a w*nker

ME 2"

No, I've always liked you I!!

and you R

Shag

Blimey now Taverns at it , whats happended to Mr and Mrs Smith

kigelia

Linford is the athletics equivalent of Glenn Hoddle. His opinion of his value/importance to the sport is far far higher than anyone elses. That said, I am not convinced by the positive drug test, there was a lot of doubt at that time over positive results for nandrolone around that time.

Riscardo

I prefer Ben Johnson myself

leftbehind

pratt

SoundAsa£

It was never clear whether or not he had taken drugs at the height of his career or had just started taking them as his form declined in later years.
I guess we'll never know but the suspicion that he took them earlier in his career will I suppose always remain.

kigelia

[cite]Posted By: SoundAsa£[/cite]It was never clear whether or not he had taken drugs at the height of his career or had just started taking them as his form declined in later years.
I guess we'll never know but the suspicion that he took them earlier in his career will I suppose always remain.

my guess would be that the vast majority of top sprinters in the 80's were on some performance enhancing substance or other although when random testing began to come on around the late 80's some will have started to think again - or at least become cleverer at keeping it a secret.

Barn Door Varney

"I think there's institutionalised racism in this country," he told the On The Ropes programme.

Here's and idea then Linford, piss off!!

Twat!

AFKABartram

I agree with pretty much everything Kigelia has said.

les_says

i always had more time for akabusi.

awooga.

Barn Door Varney

[cite]Posted By: les_says[/cite]awooga.

I thought that was John Fashanu's catchphase on Gladiators?

BlackForestReds

Kigelia has hit the nail on the head - top class athletes were mostly trying to stay one step ahead of the doping authorities and getting caught was the chance they took.

Barn Door Varney

The point is he was caught and banned. How can he expect to be asked to carry the olmpic torch after that?

Why play the race card? As CFW said at the start, it just makes him look a bitter man with a chip on his shoulder!

kinveachyaddick

I think it's pretty much accepted that Christie took drugs all through his career.

In those days, missing a test was not counted as failing a test as it now days (onhurugo etc.) so all you had to do was make sure the testers couldn't find you if you didn't want to be tested

BlackForestReds

[cite]Posted By: Barn Door Lisbie[/cite]The point is he was caught and banned. How can he expect to be asked to carry the olmpic torch after that?

Why play the race card? As CFW said at the start, it just makes him look a bitter man with a chip on his shoulder!

I think it was the chip on his shoulder that made him the athlete he was - even if he was chemically assisted (or not) he still needed to put in a lot of hard graft in training and the way he used to stand in his blocks just prior to a race psyching out his opponents was something else.

les_says

[cite]Posted By: Barn Door Lisbie[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: les_says[/cite]awooga.

I thought that was John Fashanu's catchphase on Gladiators?

he nicked it from akabusi's sex stories. read em if you get the chance.

C_f_W

[cite]Posted By: BlackForestReds[/cite]he still needed to put in a lot of hard graft in training and the way he used to stand in his blocks just prior to a race psyching out his opponents was something else.

I'd call that supreme arrogance and self belief, prerequisites of what makes a top-flight sportsman what he/she is. That's what made him the person I used to admire.

Was it ultimately a chip on the shoulder that used to motivate him? Maybe it was but the difference was it motivated him in a positive way. Now it's just bitterness.

BlackForestReds

Whatever, in a race like the 100 metres the difference between gold and nowhere is a few fractions of a second. We make heroes out of our sportsmen and women without understanding that sometimes the arrogance or whatever motivates them to strive to win doesn't necessarily make them good company after their careers are over. It's a shame that Linford can't put that behind him and move on to the next stage of his career, or perhaps he still wants that siege mentality to drive him on to become a better coach or whatever his goal is.

nth_london_addick

Christie is the only Briton to have won 100m gold at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, European and World Championships. i didnt realise that i always thought of him as the frank bruno of sprinting.

when he won the olympics i was a pleased as punch for him i thought it was an excellent achievement.

"winners dont do drugs" well they certainly did and still do the amount of abuse in these sports is horrendous

I have a female collegue at work who is "friends" with Dame Kelly (she has come to several work promos and i had a great night out at the sport relief aprentice) and i have spoken to her about Linford and Dwain Chambers and the fact that i couldnt see any diffrence between the 2 and nor could she both tarnished with the cheater brush and rightly so.

shame as he was truely fantastic to achieve those goals but we will never know

bingaddick

Christie rose from average sprinter to world beater almost overnight and quite late in his career. I always wondered about him and how he managed it? Perhaps he's got his come-uppence.

charltonkeston

He explained that away by saying it was different coaching methods and also changing his starting foot.
I thought it might have been something else.

Goonerhater

Should have suspected it when he said " i changed my starting foot and the next thing i knew i was speeding !"

kigelia

[cite]Posted By: pettswoodaddick[/cite]He explained that away by saying it was different coaching methods and also changing his starting foot.
I thought it might have been something else.

Having done some work on this during my degree (sports science) it is surprising how much difference it actually makes over the first twenty metres of a race. Most sprinters will choose to put their dominant leg at the front as this just feels more natural, however in a lot of cases that is not the best way.

LenGlover

[cite]Posted By: bingaddick[/cite]Christie rose from average sprinter to world beater almost overnight and quite late in his career. I always wondered about him and how he managed it? Perhaps he's got his come-uppence.

He also became much more muscular very quickly in his mid/late twenties.

I've read a biography and the difference in the photos is very obvious.

He must have lived in the gym if other factors didn't come into play.

bingaddick

[cite]Posted By: LenGlover[/cite]
He also became much more muscular very quickly in his mid/late twenties.

I've read a biography and the difference in the photos is very obvious.

He must have lived in the gym if other factors didn't come into play.

Thats what I thought Len.

Leroy Ambrose

Pillock. Loved it when he won the 100M at the Olympics, but I'm nopw pretty sure he was on drugs - which has ruined it for me. And he's obviously not as intyelligent as he tries to make out either: 'institutionalised' racism? I think you mean 'institutional' racism old son