| Linford 10:43 - Jul 26 with 6925 views | Superhoops2808 |
I know we talked about the Daley Thompson documentary, but last nights one about a local boy Linford Christie, is superb and well worth a watch.
How he dealt with the drugs cheat Ben Johnson, his own drugs test failure and also before he was a household name when he was incorrectly arrested for theft of a motor vehicle.
Be warned though, Colin Hart is just as horrible in this as he was in the Daley one!! |  | | |  |
| Linford on 10:47 - Jul 26 with 6262 views | ChrisNW6 |
Yep, watched the Linford Christie doc last night and can't belive how degrading and disrespectful the British press were in the 80/90s. You could see how hurt he was and would never happen to a white athlete. The police arrest was terrible and I'm glad he got compensation.
Use of nutritional substances was a problem an it ruined his legacy but he was an amazing competitor and passed all the drug tests in his prime. |  | | |
| Linford on 11:54 - Jul 26 with 6100 views | nick_hammersmith |
Is the whole "build 'em up to knock 'em down" culture in the press only typical in Britain?
I grew up watching Linford and it was horrible to watch him torn down in public.
There is a great book about this era of sprinting.
https://amzn.eu/d/0gOw6JDI |  | | |
| Linford on 13:10 - Jul 26 with 5948 views | Hayesender |
Haven't watched it yet, but Colin Hart really showed himself up for what he is in the Daley Thompson doc. Didn't even have to read between the lines with that "chip on both shoulders" comment |  |
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| Linford on 17:02 - Jul 26 with 5634 views | NewBee |
Not seen the docu, so can't comment on it.
But as regards the "dodgy substances" issue, I remember watching the 1992 Olympic 100m Final with a friend who was a very good athlete in his day - not quite Olympic standard, but competed in the Commonwealth Games, and various national games events etc. A close friend of some very famous athletes whose names you'd all recognise.
Anyhow, after the Final, LC removed his vest to reveal his perfectly ripped torso, which caused my pal to wonder out loud: "Hmmm, how come a man over 30 can manage to achieve a physique like that naturally? Christie must have remarkable genes" (I'm paraphrasing when I say that, since I wouldn't like to come to the attention of the learned gentlemen of the judiciary, you understand.)
My pal then proceeded to outline how sprinters reach their natural peak when very young, after which it is a question of how long you can maintain, or even improve, your times by training, technique and diet etc. So that by the time they reach 30, that's usually it.
Yet as the record shows, even into his mid-20's, LC's times and performances were nothing special, until he suddenly started smashing his PB's out of the park in the latter half of his career.
So that eventually at the age of 32 years 121 days, he became the then oldest Olympic 100 m champion by four years and 38 days, a record which he still holds. While subsequently, even the great Usain Bolt was still a few days short of his 30th birthday when he won his 3rd and final gold medal at Rio2016, retiring completely a year later.
Remarkable genes, eh? Oh and ginseng. Yeah, that was it, ginseng. And the genes. | | | |
| Linford on 18:04 - Jul 26 with 5524 views | nick_hammersmith |
| Linford on 17:02 - Jul 26 by NewBee |
Not seen the docu, so can't comment on it.
But as regards the "dodgy substances" issue, I remember watching the 1992 Olympic 100m Final with a friend who was a very good athlete in his day - not quite Olympic standard, but competed in the Commonwealth Games, and various national games events etc. A close friend of some very famous athletes whose names you'd all recognise.
Anyhow, after the Final, LC removed his vest to reveal his perfectly ripped torso, which caused my pal to wonder out loud: "Hmmm, how come a man over 30 can manage to achieve a physique like that naturally? Christie must have remarkable genes" (I'm paraphrasing when I say that, since I wouldn't like to come to the attention of the learned gentlemen of the judiciary, you understand.)
My pal then proceeded to outline how sprinters reach their natural peak when very young, after which it is a question of how long you can maintain, or even improve, your times by training, technique and diet etc. So that by the time they reach 30, that's usually it.
Yet as the record shows, even into his mid-20's, LC's times and performances were nothing special, until he suddenly started smashing his PB's out of the park in the latter half of his career.
So that eventually at the age of 32 years 121 days, he became the then oldest Olympic 100 m champion by four years and 38 days, a record which he still holds. While subsequently, even the great Usain Bolt was still a few days short of his 30th birthday when he won his 3rd and final gold medal at Rio2016, retiring completely a year later.
Remarkable genes, eh? Oh and ginseng. Yeah, that was it, ginseng. And the genes. |
I met LC when he came to Mums work at Charing X hospital.
He was a very nice guy, and I think anyone at the top of anything in life (the 1%'ers) have something about them to maintain that drive to be the best.
100% LC would have been using supplements, like every other athlete in the world.
But, for my money, I don't think he's ever knowingly cheated with performance enhancing drugs.
By you're friends logic Cristiano Ronaldo must be bang at it as well, he's got hardly any body fat into his late 30's...
That book I recommended was great, I might read it again now. I'm sure it went into detail about how something that was allowed one year wasn't the next and the testers were always a bit behind everything | | | |
| Linford on 19:43 - Jul 26 with 5409 views | themodfather |
haven't seen either but drugs is rife in most sports , tour de france is a joke for it.. most athletes , swimmers, it is across the board and if they fail blame a compound they take ? the bans should be for life or just let all do as they please, their risk and no testing. | | | |
| Linford on 20:00 - Jul 26 with 5374 views | numptydumpty |
| Linford on 13:10 - Jul 26 by Hayesender |
Haven't watched it yet, but Colin Hart really showed himself up for what he is in the Daley Thompson doc. Didn't even have to read between the lines with that "chip on both shoulders" comment |
COLIN HART
Not a word I use lightly - but PARASITE is the word !!!
Nasty delusional and feelings of oversized self importance.
And in the Linford documentary what on earth is going on with the hair on his head.
WEIRDEST HAIRSTYLE I HAVE EVER HAD THE GOOD GRACE TO WITNESS !!! WTF !!!
🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 [Post edited 26 Jul 20:01]
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| Linford on 20:09 - Jul 26 with 5327 views | ChrisNW6 |
| Linford on 17:02 - Jul 26 by NewBee |
Not seen the docu, so can't comment on it.
But as regards the "dodgy substances" issue, I remember watching the 1992 Olympic 100m Final with a friend who was a very good athlete in his day - not quite Olympic standard, but competed in the Commonwealth Games, and various national games events etc. A close friend of some very famous athletes whose names you'd all recognise.
Anyhow, after the Final, LC removed his vest to reveal his perfectly ripped torso, which caused my pal to wonder out loud: "Hmmm, how come a man over 30 can manage to achieve a physique like that naturally? Christie must have remarkable genes" (I'm paraphrasing when I say that, since I wouldn't like to come to the attention of the learned gentlemen of the judiciary, you understand.)
My pal then proceeded to outline how sprinters reach their natural peak when very young, after which it is a question of how long you can maintain, or even improve, your times by training, technique and diet etc. So that by the time they reach 30, that's usually it.
Yet as the record shows, even into his mid-20's, LC's times and performances were nothing special, until he suddenly started smashing his PB's out of the park in the latter half of his career.
So that eventually at the age of 32 years 121 days, he became the then oldest Olympic 100 m champion by four years and 38 days, a record which he still holds. While subsequently, even the great Usain Bolt was still a few days short of his 30th birthday when he won his 3rd and final gold medal at Rio2016, retiring completely a year later.
Remarkable genes, eh? Oh and ginseng. Yeah, that was it, ginseng. And the genes. |
I suggest watching the doc, as it fully explained how 25yr old Linford started late in the sport. Before then he hadn't taken it seriously but he had all the attributes to be successful. I think he himself admitted to taking legal supplements to build his physique but there were obviously some blurred lines. I don't think anyone was fully clean in that 92 final and all of them have since had some negative testing. | | | |
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| Linford on 20:12 - Jul 26 with 5314 views | digswellhoop |
He's a drug cheat | | | |
| Linford on 20:17 - Jul 26 with 5300 views | digswellhoop |
where did Daley Thomson thread g0 please | | | |
| Linford on 07:27 - Aug 2 with 4744 views | SherryHoop |
Just watched this.
Linford was my idol growing up. I was 7 and 11 for the Olympics in 88 and 92. In those days we never won much at the Olympics and to have someone not only British but from Shepherds Bush. I thought he was amazing. His focus, his style, his body, his smile.
The way he was treated by the press and therefore by a certain section of the British public was disgusting. I never really thought about it much as by the time he was banned I was off doing other things.
These days he would have had media training and the whole false arrest and lunchbox thing wouldn't be acceptable. The testing process was also a bit of a joke. A lot of progress has been made since then although probably less than I think.
Personally I don't believe he was a cheat. He was at the peak of a very influential sport at a time when doping was rife and the the tabloids were out of control. The offence he was caught for didn't make sense to be cheating. I believe there was a lot of racism surrounding how he was treated by the press and wider society.
The documentary was a sad reflection on an amazing career. You could see the pain of those times and how it impacted him and his family.
After watching it I felt defensive of my childhood idol. A sense of lost innocence. An insight into the merky adult world of cheating, accusations, racism, incompetence, labelling. I think I would rather focus on that moment in Barcelona in 92 and the pride of one of our own on top of the world. | | | |
| Linford on 08:40 - Aug 2 with 4577 views | NorthantsHoop |
Looking forward to watching this, I like Linford Christie lot of respect for what he achieved as a top athlete and winning at Barcelona 1992. The somewhat forgotten British sprinter about 10 years before Linford's success was Alan Wells who took the gold and silver respectively at 100m and 200m at the Moscow Olympics in 1980. He again was a late developer like Linford. |  | | |
| (No subject) (n/t) on 12:42 - Aug 2 with 4354 views | SimplyNico |
| Linford on 17:02 - Jul 26 by NewBee |
Not seen the docu, so can't comment on it.
But as regards the "dodgy substances" issue, I remember watching the 1992 Olympic 100m Final with a friend who was a very good athlete in his day - not quite Olympic standard, but competed in the Commonwealth Games, and various national games events etc. A close friend of some very famous athletes whose names you'd all recognise.
Anyhow, after the Final, LC removed his vest to reveal his perfectly ripped torso, which caused my pal to wonder out loud: "Hmmm, how come a man over 30 can manage to achieve a physique like that naturally? Christie must have remarkable genes" (I'm paraphrasing when I say that, since I wouldn't like to come to the attention of the learned gentlemen of the judiciary, you understand.)
My pal then proceeded to outline how sprinters reach their natural peak when very young, after which it is a question of how long you can maintain, or even improve, your times by training, technique and diet etc. So that by the time they reach 30, that's usually it.
Yet as the record shows, even into his mid-20's, LC's times and performances were nothing special, until he suddenly started smashing his PB's out of the park in the latter half of his career.
So that eventually at the age of 32 years 121 days, he became the then oldest Olympic 100 m champion by four years and 38 days, a record which he still holds. While subsequently, even the great Usain Bolt was still a few days short of his 30th birthday when he won his 3rd and final gold medal at Rio2016, retiring completely a year later.
Remarkable genes, eh? Oh and ginseng. Yeah, that was it, ginseng. And the genes. |
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| Linford on 13:27 - Aug 4 with 3895 views | daveB |
was a brilliant doc and really felt for him at the end, the drugs cheat thing will never leave him but seems completely unfounded, the failed test was ridiculous |  | | |
| Linford on 14:13 - Aug 4 with 3789 views | DavieQPR |
A lot of 'celebrities' in all forms of life struggle to stay in the limelight. In a way plastic surgery is a form of cheating. |  | | |
| Linford on 15:36 - Aug 4 with 3685 views | stevec |
Haven’t had chance to watch the documentary yet, which one was it about? …
Christie tested postive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone in 1999.
He was cleared by UK Athletics but the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) overturned the decision and banned him for two years.
Chrsitie always claimed he was not guilty despite the fact that the levels of nandrolone recorded were among the highest ever registered.
He is banned for life by the British Olympic Association from ever having anything to do with a British team at the Games again.
Christie also failed a drugs test at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, where he won the silver medal in the 100m after Canada's Ben Johnson, the original man first across the line was disqualifed following a positive drugs test for drugs and the runner-up Carl Lewis was upgraded to the gold medal.
The Briton then tested positive for the stimulant gingseng after the 200m but was cleared on a split decision after a member of the appeals panel fell asleep and could not be woken up during the marathon disciplinary hearing |  | | |
| Linford on 19:43 - Aug 4 with 3554 views | daveB |
| Linford on 15:36 - Aug 4 by stevec |
Haven’t had chance to watch the documentary yet, which one was it about? …
Christie tested postive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone in 1999.
He was cleared by UK Athletics but the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) overturned the decision and banned him for two years.
Chrsitie always claimed he was not guilty despite the fact that the levels of nandrolone recorded were among the highest ever registered.
He is banned for life by the British Olympic Association from ever having anything to do with a British team at the Games again.
Christie also failed a drugs test at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, where he won the silver medal in the 100m after Canada's Ben Johnson, the original man first across the line was disqualifed following a positive drugs test for drugs and the runner-up Carl Lewis was upgraded to the gold medal.
The Briton then tested positive for the stimulant gingseng after the 200m but was cleared on a split decision after a member of the appeals panel fell asleep and could not be woken up during the marathon disciplinary hearing |
He was cleared by the British Olympic Association in 1999, it was the IOC who banned him for 2 years. He's still coaching today over in America
they mention both tests in the doc, it's well worth a watch | | | |
| Linford on 21:15 - Aug 4 with 3420 views | Dorse |
Just watched this year's final. Linford's best time (9.87) would still make the final all these years later! Weirdly, his gold medal time (9.96) wouldn't have got him there.
He was one hell of an athlete! |  |
| 'What do we want? We don't know! When do we want it? Now!' |
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| Linford on 00:27 - Aug 5 with 3276 views | NewBee |
| Linford on 08:40 - Aug 2 by NorthantsHoop |
Looking forward to watching this, I like Linford Christie lot of respect for what he achieved as a top athlete and winning at Barcelona 1992. The somewhat forgotten British sprinter about 10 years before Linford's success was Alan Wells who took the gold and silver respectively at 100m and 200m at the Moscow Olympics in 1980. He again was a late developer like Linford. |
Late developer?
A BBC investigation has uncovered claims of drug taking by British 100m Olympic gold medallist Allan Wells.
Wells, who won the 100m in the Olympics in Moscow in 1980, is one of only three British athletes to win the elite race.
The allegations against him include the sworn testimony of three men who knew him well and secretly recorded exchanges with former Great Britain team doctor Jimmy Ledingham.
[Ledingham said] "He [Wells] was taking stuff from all over the place, not just from me … Everybody knew Wells took drugs."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-32883944 | | | |
| Linford on 01:51 - Aug 5 with 3236 views | SydneyRs |
| Linford on 08:40 - Aug 2 by NorthantsHoop |
Looking forward to watching this, I like Linford Christie lot of respect for what he achieved as a top athlete and winning at Barcelona 1992. The somewhat forgotten British sprinter about 10 years before Linford's success was Alan Wells who took the gold and silver respectively at 100m and 200m at the Moscow Olympics in 1980. He again was a late developer like Linford. |
The yanks and others boycotted that Olympics though, so he wasn't up against full competition. | | | |
| Linford on 03:52 - Aug 5 with 3186 views | CLAREMAN1995 |
| Linford on 01:51 - Aug 5 by SydneyRs |
The yanks and others boycotted that Olympics though, so he wasn't up against full competition. |
Good point and proved tonight the US are leading the way in sprint events (Jamacia too of course ) and if they were in Moscow its unlikely he would have won.
As well as the 100 they really excel in the 200 and 400 plus the relays so much that the US trials are faster than most countries and they leave most of them at home .
As for the drugs the testing used to be so far behind they were literally injecting themselves in the dressing rooms with no fear.
Now the biological pasports are changing things finally |  | | |
| Linford on 09:30 - Aug 5 with 2937 views | TheChef |
Very interesting watching in comparison with the Thompson one. Thompson seemed to like courting controversy whereas Christie seemed quite happy go lucky and simply enjoyed the thrill of competing.
Totally forgot about him defaulting in the 1996 Olympic final, would have been interesting to see where he finished.
I really want to believe he was clean but as mentioned, very unusual how he improved as he got older. |  |
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| Linford on 09:58 - Aug 5 with 2831 views | CamberleyR |
| Linford on 03:52 - Aug 5 by CLAREMAN1995 |
Good point and proved tonight the US are leading the way in sprint events (Jamacia too of course ) and if they were in Moscow its unlikely he would have won.
As well as the 100 they really excel in the 200 and 400 plus the relays so much that the US trials are faster than most countries and they leave most of them at home .
As for the drugs the testing used to be so far behind they were literally injecting themselves in the dressing rooms with no fear.
Now the biological pasports are changing things finally |
Wells beat all his major American competition that weren't in the 1980 Olympics (Stanley Floyd, Harvey Glance, Mel Lattany) in a meet in Cologne after the Olympics and did so again in a couple of meets the following year so I'd say it's not that clear cut that he wouldn't have won in Moscow had there not been a boycott. |  |
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| Linford on 12:36 - Aug 5 with 2710 views | NewBee |
| Linford on 09:58 - Aug 5 by CamberleyR |
Wells beat all his major American competition that weren't in the 1980 Olympics (Stanley Floyd, Harvey Glance, Mel Lattany) in a meet in Cologne after the Olympics and did so again in a couple of meets the following year so I'd say it's not that clear cut that he wouldn't have won in Moscow had there not been a boycott. |
Wells' winning time in 1980 was 10.25 secs - the slowest Gold Medal time since the 1960 Olympics. In fact Jesse Owens was recorded at 10.3 secs in Berlin in 1936 (Obviously the timings weren't so reliable back then, but still).
While every winning time since then has been sub-10.
And I think you underestimate the effect of the absence of the Americans in Moscow. Yes, he did beat them subsequently, but they hadn't had the opportunity to "peak" for the summer of 1980 - who knows what times they might have achieved if they had?
While more generally, the USA has won a total of 40 Olympic medals (all colours) in Mens' 100 metres history - not far short of the rest of the world put together (49). | | | |
| Linford on 13:08 - Aug 5 with 2612 views | CamberleyR |
| Linford on 12:36 - Aug 5 by NewBee |
Wells' winning time in 1980 was 10.25 secs - the slowest Gold Medal time since the 1960 Olympics. In fact Jesse Owens was recorded at 10.3 secs in Berlin in 1936 (Obviously the timings weren't so reliable back then, but still).
While every winning time since then has been sub-10.
And I think you underestimate the effect of the absence of the Americans in Moscow. Yes, he did beat them subsequently, but they hadn't had the opportunity to "peak" for the summer of 1980 - who knows what times they might have achieved if they had?
While more generally, the USA has won a total of 40 Olympic medals (all colours) in Mens' 100 metres history - not far short of the rest of the world put together (49). |
The thing is, nobody was running sub 10 seconds times back then though. Jim Hines' 9.95 altitude assisted 100m world record had stood since the 1968 Olympics and in the dozen years since nobody was even getting close.
The three Americans he would have been up against in the Olympics didn't run below 10 seconds (or even remotely close to it) in their trials held in late June 1980.
The result in that was:
1st - Stanley Floyd 10.26 secs
2nd - Harvey Glance 10.27 secs
3rd - Mel Lattany 10.30 secs
And that wasn't even into a headwind, the wind speed reading was zero.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_United_States_Olympic_trials_(track_and_field [Post edited 5 Aug 13:14]
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