Christie will not carry Olympic flame - GLA
Christie will not carry Olympic flame - GLA
Controversial former sprinter Linford Christie will not carry the Beijing Olympic torch when it passes through London, the Greater London Authority (GLA) said on Friday.
However, there was confusion over whether he was ever invited by London Mayor Ken Livingstone to be one of the 80 runners taking part in the April 6 torch relay.
"Linford Christie has made it clear he will not be participating in the torch relay," a GLA spokesperson said.
"Inaccurate reports have appeared claiming that the Mayor invited Linford Christie to participate in the torch relay.
"The decision to invite Linford Christie to be a torchbearer was not taken by the Mayor. The Mayor only had the right to nominate five torchbearers and Linford Christie was not one of them."
However, a spokesman for Nuff Respect, a sports marketing agency established by Christie in 1992, said earlier on Friday that the he had indeed been asked to join the relay.
"Linford has been invited to take part and will do depending on his schedule because he may be away warm weather training," the spokesman said.
His agent, Sue Barrett, said Christie had been personally invited by Livingstone, although overseas coaching commitments would have prevented his appearance.
"I have a letter in front of me signed by Ken Livingstone," she told BBC Radio Five. "It says ’I would be delighted if you would consider being one of our torchbearers in London and join with 80 other well known personalities and young Londoners to each carry the flame for about 250 metres.’
"I’m surprised they are saying that considering it’s his signature on the end of the letter."
Christie, who celebrates his 48th birthday four days before the relay, won the Olympic 100 metres gold medal in 1992 but tested positive for the steroid nandrolone in 1999 and served a two-year ban.
Christie, who has always denied taking performance enhancing substances, is not allowed to work in any official capacity with the national Olympic team under BOA rules.
The GLA are organising the relay across London from Wembley Stadium — site of the 1948 Games — to the 02 Arena that will serve as a venue for the 2012 Olympics.
The only names released so far by the GLA are those of retired middle-distance runner Kelly Holmes, who won two gold medals at the 2004 Games in Athens, broadcaster Trevor McDonald and actress Amara Karan.
With the slogan ’Light the passion, Share the dream’ and the theme of ’Journey of harmony’, the Olympic torch will visit 22 cities around the world before arriving in Beijing’s Olympic stadium for the official opening of the 2008 Games.
Filed under: Beijing Olympics 2008, Beijing Olympics News