Linford CHRISTIE

Linford Christie's first major title came in 1986, when he won the European 100m crown in Stuttgart see photo above. His winning time was a new championship best performance of 10.15 seconds. Second was Steffen Bringmann (GDR) in 10.20 secs and third came Bruno Marie-Rose of France in 10.21 secs. Fellow Briton Allan Wells, the 1980 Olympic Champion, finished fifth in 10.24. With that defeat of Allan, Linford became the new star of British sprinting. The previous Briton to win the European crown had been Jack Archer in 1946. Linford had of course already taken over the No 1 spot from Allan when he established a new British 100 metres record of 10.04 seconds in Moscow on June 4th. It was Wells' 1980 record of 10.11 seconds that he bettered. (Allan ran a wind assisted 10.02 in 1982). (GH)

Linford Christie, now firmly established as Britain's top sprinter, confirmed his status by winning not only the 100 metres at the 1987 European Cup Final, but also the 200m. He took the short sprint in 10.23 seconds from East Germany's Steffen Bringman and the 200m in 20.63, also from Brigman. His season was geared to the second World Championships, to be held in Rome and therefore his races were carefully chosen. For example at Gateshead in June, where the above photo was taken he ran only the 200m in a three sided contest between Canada and Poland, leaving the 100 metres to be won by Ben Johnson. They would meet in Rome where the Canadian stole the show with a new World record of 9.83 seconds in the final. That race saw Linford finish fourth, in 10.14 seconds, but he was subsequently handed the bronze medal due to Johnson's positive drug test at the 1988 Olympic Games. He had earlier in the year shaved his British record to 10.03 seconds in Budapest.

 Athletics in 1988 was dominated by one event. The final of the men's 100 metres at the Seoul Olympic Games. And not for the best of reasons - Ben Johnson's sensational "new world record" of 9.79 seconds - but the disqualification that followed. Carl Lewis had his suspicions and as the Canadian raced over the line above the defending champions expression says it all. CHEAT !

As we all now know not all cheats succeed. Johnson was caught and duly banned leaving Carl Lewis the reigning Olympic Champion, with Britain's Linford Christie awarded the silver medal. The revised result read thus. 1st. Carl Lewis 9.92 seconds (Olympic record), 2nd Linford Christie 9.97 seconds (European record). 3rd Calvin Smith 9.99 seconds - the exact time Lewis had won the title with four years earlier. (GH)

1990 started early for Linford Christie and the top British athletes with them travelling "down under" to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand. Linford competed there for England in the 100 metres and the 4 x 100m relay and gained gold medals in both events. In the sprint final on January 28th he was a convincing winner as the above photo clearly shows winning in a wind assisted time of 9.93 seconds - a Games record. Second came Nigeria's Davidson Ezinwa in 10.05 secs and third Bruny Surin of Canada in 10.12 secs. Marcus Adam, who three days later won the 200 metres, was fourth. Both Linford and Marcus won their second golds in the relay where they were joined by Clarence Callender and John Regis.

A month after the Commonwealth Christie won the European indoor 60 metres title, in Glasgow with a 6.56 time. In June he ran a 10.13 secs. 100 metres to take the UK title but in August lost the AAA's title to Calvin Smith (both 10.21 secs). Finally, in September, he retained his European 100 crown, in Split Yugoslavia, with a time of exactly ten seconds, in another wind assisted final. Second came France's Daniel Sangouma (10.04) with John Regis (10.07) third. His best time of the year for the 100m of 10.02, recorded in Auckland during the semi-final of the Commonwealth Games, ranked him No 2 in the world behind Leroy Burrell's (USA) 9.96 seconds. (GH)