The court of arbitration’s ruling just over a week ago that the British Olympic Association’s lifetime exclusion from the Olympic Games is unenforceable is good news for former sprint star and Gold medallist Linford Christie.
Christie failed a drugs test 13 years ago at a meet in Germany. He tested positive to nandrolone, and was given a two year ban by UK Athletics, even though there was ‘doubt whether the drug had been taken deliberately.’
As a result he was subject to the BOA’s lifetime ban both as an athlete and a coach, a role he now carries out very successfully. Now, thanks to last week’s ruling he can return to the Games in a coaching capacity.
The 1992 Barcelona Gold Medallist has remained popular in the UK and now coaches 10 athletes alongside Olympic sprint relay gold medallist Mark Lewis-Francis, at the Linford Christie Stadium in West London. Ironically, Lewis- Francis will be competing against Dwain Chambers for a place on the Great Britain relay team in London. The Court of Arbitration’s ruling meaning that the formerly banned Chambers can now compete at the Games in July.
