Linford Christie

Jamaican-born British former sprinter Linford Christie has a very esteemed sporting career to his name. Linford’s greatest claim to fame is being the only British man to have won gold medals competing in the 100m at all of the major competitions British athletes can compete in. He has won gold at the Olympic Games, the European Championships, the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games. Linford also remains one of the most decorated British athletes of all time, winning an amazing 24 medals before the end of his career.

Linford had a talent for running from a young age, competing in his first London Youth Games in 1977 for Hammersmith and Fulham. Sport was just a hobby for Linford, until he began to really take it seriously and develop a passion for it when he was 19. After not qualifying for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Linford was taken under Ron Roddan’s coaching expertise and really began to thrive as an athlete.

After years of careful coaching from Ron, Linford made a debut at the 1986 European Championships taking home a surprise win in the 100m. Later that year he competed in the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games, running the 100m race once more and claiming a silver medal to add to his collection. In 1987 Linford took to another competition, this time the 1987 World Championships Rome. He initially failed to claim a medal at this event, however later took home the bronze after another contestant was disqualified for steroid use.

Linford went on to compete in his first Olympic Games in 1988, the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. He ran in both the 100m and the 100m relay, claiming the silver medal in the 100m. At this Olympics Linford set a new European record by 0.03 seconds, with his time of 9.97. Linford proved to have quite the talent for competing in the 100m race, performing once more at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. This time he took home the winning position, claiming a gold medal for his collection. This victory was significant for Linford, landing him the title of the third British person to win the 100m at the Olympics.

1993 held another significant moment for Linford. He became the only man in history to hold the Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth title in 100m. He was awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 1993 for his hard work and dedication to the sport. Linford retired from international competitions in 1997, however he still had a burning passion for sport making appearances at meets.

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Linford served as a mentor and coach for the British athletics team, continuing his legacy by guiding and inspiring the next generation of athletes​

Since his retirement from sport Linford has taken to the screen, presenting a number of programmes for the BBC. He has presented Record Breakers and Garden Invaders, alongside an acting debut in Grange Hill.