LINFORD Christie has called on British athletics to move on from the Dwain Chambers drugs controversy and concentrate on winning medals.
"Let it go" was yesterday's message from 37-year-old Christie, who struck gold in the 100 metres at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games but was later banned from the sport after failing a drugs test.
Britain's most successful sprinter unashamedly si
de-stepped the issue of whether Chambers, who has returned from a two-year drugs ban, should represent his country in next month's World Indoor Championships in Valencia.
"There are a lot of opinions out there – no-one really needs mine," said Christie, who was at the centre of a similar controversy in 2006 when he was appointed sprints coach to Britain's hopefuls.
The Great Britain selectors picked Chambers after he won the 60 metres in last weekend's trials in Sheffield – however, their decision was made largely because they did not want to face the possibility of a costly legal action for breaching their own rules. Despite being able to run in Spain, Chambers is still restricted by a lifetime Olympic ban which prevents him from competing in this summer's Games in Beijing.
"Selectors do what they need to do and the athletes go out there and perform. That's the way it is," said Christie, who intends to be in Beijing as coach to British sprinter Christian Malcolm. He urged British athletes, officials and fans to "go out and do the positive thing and focus on what they need to do".
Christie, attending a London Fashion Week event for Puma, stated: "We spend the majority of our time talking about the minority of people but we should spend the majority of the time talking about the majority of our people. That's where it's all gone wrong.
"We've got Beijing and Valencia so let's be positive for a change. In the sport, if you've got an injury and think negatively it never heals but if you can be positive you can heal yourself and that's what we've got to do now. We need to be positive and heal, it's all about healing now. Just let it go."
Christie has had his own problems with drug tests. He tested positive for the stimulant pseudoephedrine at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, but was cleared after the International Olympic Committee voted by a margin of 11 to 10 that the substance could have come from drinking ginseng tea, which was allowed.
Then, after coming out of retirement in 1999, Christie tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Nandrolone, at a meeting in Germany – where he was found to be 100 times over the limit for Nandrolone.
He claimed the substance may have been accidentally introduced to his system by taking nutritional supplements but the IAAF rejected the explanation and handed him a two-year ban even though UK Athletics felt there was "reasonable doubt" whether the drug had been taken deliberately.
But Christie does not believe drugs controversies, including the jailing of American star Marion Jones, are deterring youngsters from taking up the sport – or spectators from watching it.
"It doesn't make any difference. I've had more people this year wanting to join my group than last year," said Christie, who coaches his squad at Brunel University.
"Take a step down to Brunel and Picketts Lock or any of those centres and athletics is still a family sport. People still love athletics. Sheffield was packed last weekend, the genuine people who want to see a good performance will come and watch. They just come to watch athletics."
The full article contains 604 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
