Linford Christie, like many other renowned sports icons, recently shared stories about his sporting career on BBC’s latest documentary featured on their YouTube channel. Aside from his numerous valued possessions, the former athlete spoke about his shocking experience of failing a drug test for nandrolone.
Following a successful sprinting career that included an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship title, and numerous other accolades, the British athlete opted to retire from track and field in 1997.
However, his passion for the sport lured him back two years later, when he was invited to an indoor track competition in Germany. Even though Christie hadn’t competed in a long time, he won the race with ease.
Following the event, the athlete had a test conducted by officials. In the same BBC documentary, Joslyn Hoyte-Smith, UK Athletics’ Anti-Doping Coordinator, revealed how she received a phone call that informed her that the athlete had tested positive for nandrolone and that she had to contact Christie. However, when Christie learned that he had failed the drug test, he was naturally surprised.
“I got a phone call from Sue. ‘What’s going on?’ And she goes, ‘Oh yeah, you failed the test.’ I said, ‘Shut up.’ I think I even put the phone down because I thought, you know, ‘You’re talking rubbish.'”
Christie initially believed it was a joke, but when he realized it was serious, the athlete was startled because he had no idea what nandrolone was. Nandrolone is an anabolic steroid extensively used to increase muscle mass, and it has been prohibited from use in any sport since 1974.
When the news of the Brit failing the drug test spread through the media, the entire sports world was shocked. The athlete claimed that individuals who have something to prove may utilize drugs to get it done quickly, but he had nothing to prove because he had already retired from the sport when he tested positive for the substance.
Linford Christie, however, wanted to prove himself innocent, owing to his reputation in the track community. The athlete then discovered a fault in his earlier test. The individual who conducted the test did not transmit the material straight to the lab; instead, it traveled via several locations before arriving at its destination.
Professor Ron Maughan, a member of the UK Athletics Anti-Doping Panel, explained how nandrolone injections retain their value even after months of use. Christie was promptly called for another drug test after failing the first, and this time the athlete tested negative for nandrolone. However, the situation intensified when the IAAF became involved, and they invited the British athlete to Monte Carlo for a hearing, which he declined.
“I’m not doing that. I was not going. You know, the thing is, I didn’t do it. And the problem is UK Athletics…I’ve already been through all that with UK Athletics. And they found me innocent. They exonerated me.”
Christie’s main reason for declining the IAAF’s request was that he did not want to go through all of the procedures again. However, they did not take the athlete’s response positively and banned him from athletics for two years owing to his drug test failure.
The Brit then claimed that while he didn’t care much about the IAAF’s decision to ban him, it did impact him mentally, as everything he had gained in his sporting career evaporated. On top of it, he also lost his sponsors and other opportunities.
