Angry Christie makes racism claim

Former Olympic champion Linford Christie has claimed there is "institutionalised racism" in Britain.

And Christie, who won 100 metres gold at the 1992 Olympics, is adamant he should have carried the Olympic torch on its way through London in April.

"How many black knights from British athletics do you know," he said on BBC Radio 4.

Christie was banned by the British Olympic Association in 1999 after he failed a routine drugs test.

That test came following an indoor meet in Germany at a time when he was in semi-retirement from racing, but he has always denied taking performance-enhancing drugs.

And Christie believes that has led to him failing to get the recognition he feels he deserves.

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

"If you look to what we've achieved in sport all this, nandrolone [the drug he was banned for taking] and all this thing aside, how many knights have we had in British athletics?

"I've achieved more single-handedly, I'd say, than any other athlete or any other sportsman in this country."

Christie, 48, is the only British man to have won 100m gold at the Olympics, Commonwealth, European and World Championships.

And he feels that given his achievements he should have been included in the group of around 80 athletes, former athletes and celebrities who carried the torch through London.

"For me, I look at track and field and what I did in the sport, it's like going to war," he said.

"I went out there and I battled against other countries and put British sprinting on the map and so therefore I don't think it's something I should want to do, I think it's something I should be asked to do."

Christie singled out his former friend, Lord Coe - chair of the London 2012 Olympic organising committee - for special criticism, asking: "What did he achieve for athletics?

"I'm still bitter about him, I cannot stand the guy and, to be honest, I wish we didn't even talk about it because I have nothing good to say about Sebastian Coe at all, absolutely nothing."

Christie now owns a management company and mentors and coaches young athletes.

Listen to the full interview on BBC Radio 4's On The Ropes on Sunday 22 June at 1330

BBC SPORT | Athletics | Angry Christie makes racism claim


"Linford Christie welcome to reality". Its funny how people only start to see the truth, when they are hit in a bad way.

...innit

personally I believe Linford should be on the board as the systems way of acknowledging his drugs ban was wrong. For them not to simply means that they believe he really is guilty. Personally I thought that Diane Modahl lass was as guilty as sin

You have to laugh though. How can Linford "THINK" there is institutionalised racism, it's a fact there is. He obviously made all that draping of the union jack over his shoulders forget his rank.

Ouch! lol

Agreed on Diane Modahl. Her husband/coach was a kosher as a ham sandwich. WELL DODGY.