LINFORD Christie was not deemed suitable for consideration as one of Britain's six 'favourite' Olympic champions because of his failed drugs test, it was admitted yesterday.
Seb Coe, Steve Redgrave, Kelly Holmes, Jonathan Edwards, Sally Gunnell and Duncan Goodhew will be the six faces on the new National Lottery scratchcards to raise money for the London 2012 Games. The British Olympic Association has confirmed the 'pr
ompt list' of Olympic champions they provided to Camelot to help with a survey to find the nation's favourites did not include Christie, the 100 metre champion at the 1992 Games in Barcelona.
A BOA spokesman said: "Camelot kindly showed us their research proposals last year and we had no problems with what was planned. As part of their research, the BOA offered Camelot a list of past Olympic medal winners. This did not include any athlete who has been found guilty of a doping-related offence."
Camelot commissioned Ipso MORI to carry out a poll of the public, and they insist that the top six names received the most votes from those who were unprompted. They did confirm, however, that Christie, who tested positive for nandrolone but after his retirement from competitive running, was not on the prompt list to be shown to those being surveyed if they needed help choosing.
Christie severely criticised Coe last week, still furious at being snubbed as an Olympic torch relay runner this year, blaming the chairman of the London Olympic Organising Committee for being dumped for that relay. He said: "I think it should be my right as a stalwart of our sport – I've done my country proud. Seb and I were good friends and I've known Seb for a long time. If he felt he had a problem with me, as you do if you are friends, you come and say it to me man-to-man."
The full article contains 317 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
