Linford Christie OBE

Europe’s greatest ever 100m sprinter, Linford became the Olympic 100m Champion after winning the Gold Medal in Barcelona in 1992. In an international career spanning seventeen years Linford competed over 60 times for his country and won more major championship medals (23) than any other British male sprinter. He was the British team captain from 1990, a year that saw him claim his second European Championships 100m title, and his first Commonwealth Games Gold, until his retirement from International Athletics in 1997.

Linford became the first man to retain the World Cup 100m crown, and in 1994 won an amazing sixth European Cup title and a third World Cup title. This total was added to in 1995 and 1996 with European Cup victories in the 100m and 200m to make him the holder of eleven titles. Unbeaten by a British athlete for eight years (until 1996) over 100m, Linford is the only European to have run below ten seconds. His fastest time, 9.87 seconds, recorded when he won the1993 World Championship in Stuttgart, is the European record.

Amongst the numerous awards bestowed upon Linford was the prestigious 1993 ‘BBC Sports Personality of the Year’ and ‘European Athlete of the Year’. One of his proudest achievements is creating the youth engagement programme Street Athletics with fellow athlete, Darren Campbell which ran for over 12 years and has discovered talented young people, some of whom have gone on to compete in an Olympic Games.

Key Achievements:

• 2024 – Awarded Sporting Equals Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2024 – Coached the Great Britain athletics team at the Paris 2024 Olympics
• 1998 – Awarded OBE
• 1996 – European Indoor Championships, Stockholm – Gold medal in the 200 meters
• 1995 – World Championships, Gothenburg – Silver medal in the 100 meters
• 1994 – European Championships, Helsinki – Gold medal in the 100 meters
• 1994 – Commonwealth Games, Victoria – Gold medal in the 100 meters
• 1993 – West London Stadium was renamed the Linford Christie Stadium in his honour
• 1993 – World Championships, Stuttgart – Gold medal in the 100 meters
• 1992 – Olympic Games, Barcelona – Gold medal in the 100 meters
• 1990 – Awarded MBE
• 1990 – European Championships, Split – Gold medal in the 100 meters
• 1990 – Commonwealth Games, Auckland – Gold medal in the 100 meters
• 1988 – Olympic Games, Seoul – Silver medal in the 100 meters
• 1986 – European Championships, Stuttgart – Gold medal in the 100 meters
• 1986 – Commonwealth Games, Edinburgh – Gold medal in the 100 meters
• 1984 – Olympic Games, Los Angeles – 4×100 meters relay – Silver medal