Linford Christie

Linford Christie

Linford Christie in 2009
Personal information
Nationality	British
Born	(1960-04-02) 2 April 1960 (age 56) Saint Andrew, Jamaica
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games 1992 Barcelona 100 m 1988 Seoul 100 m 1988 Seoul 4×100 m relay World Championships 1993 Stuttgart 100 m 1993 Stuttgart 4×100 m relay 1987 Rome 100 m 1991 Tokyo 4×100 m relay World Indoor Championships 1991 Seville 60 m 1991 Seville 200 m European Championships 1986 Stuttgart 100 m 1990 Split 100 m 1994 Helsinki 100 m 1990 Split 4×100 m relay 1990 Split 200 m 1986 Stuttgart 4×100 m relay European Indoor Championships 1986 Madrid 200 m 1988 Budapest 60 m 1990 Glasgow 60 m 1988 Budapest 200 m Representing  England Commonwealth Games 1990 Auckland 100 m 1990 Auckland 4×100 m relay 1994 Victoria 100 m 1986 Edinburgh 100 m 1986 Edinburgh 4×100 m relay
Updated on 20 July 2012.

Linford Cicero Christie OBE (born 2 April 1960) is a former Jamaican born British sprinter. He is the only British man to have won gold medals in the 100 metres at all four major competitions open to British athletes: the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games. He was the first European to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 m and still holds the British record in the event. He is a former world indoor record holder over 200 metres, and a former European record holder in the 60 metres, 100 m and 4 × 100 metres relay. With 24 major championship medals including 10 gold medals, he is the most decorated British male athlete Despite first testing positive for a prohibited substance in 1988, it was only following his failed drug testing in 1999 that he was banned from competition by IAAF.

Christie was born in Saint Andrew, Jamaica, where he was brought up by his grandmother. At the age of seven he followed his parents, who had emigrated to Acton, London, England, five years before. He was educated at Henry Compton Secondary School in Fulham, London and excelled in physical education. He competed in the very first London Youth Games in 1977 for the borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. He also joined the Air Training Corps in 1978, 336 (Hammersmith) Squadron. He did not take up athletics seriously until he was 19.