Linford Christie is a Former Olympic sprinter, who took part in the tenth season of I'm a Celebrity UK, where he entered the camp on Day 1 as a part of Team Bruce. On November 30th,2010, Linford came out in 7th Place.
Background[]
Linford Christie was born on the 2nd of April, 1960 in Saint Andrew, Jamaica, where he was brought up by his grandmother. At the age of seven he followed his parents, who had emigrated to Acton, London, England, five years before. He was educated at Henry Compton Secondary School in Fulham, London and excelled in physical education. He took up an interest in athletics at the age of 19. Christie's early track career was not promising. He failed to make the Great Britain team for the 1984 Summer Olympics, not even being included in the sprint relay squad. It was not until he began to work in earnest under the coaching of Ron Roddan that he began to fulfill his potential. In 1986, he was the surprise winner of the 100 m at the European Championships and finished second in the same event at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Christie won the 100 m silver, behind Carl Lewis, who set a world record in 9.79 seconds, was disqualified following a positive drug test. Christie's time was 9.97 seconds, a new European record by 0.03 seconds and only happened twice until before then that anyone had ever broken the ten-second barrier but not won the race. In 1992, Christie became the third British athlete to win the Olympic 100 m, after Harold Abrahams and Allan Wells, winning the title ahead of Frankie Fredericks of Namibia at the Barcelona Olympic Games. In the absence of his great rival Lewis, Christie ran 9.96 s in the final, and at the age of 32 years 121 days became the oldest Olympic 100 m champion by four years and 38 days. In 1993, he became the first man in history to hold the Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles in the 100 m as he was victorious at the Stuttgart World Championships in his fastest ever time of 9.87. That year he was also voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year. The following year, in 1994, he defended his Commonwealth title in Victoria in his second fastest ever 100 m time of 9.91. In 1996, Christie was disqualified in the final after two false starts. Christie retired from representative international competition in 1997, although he continued to make appearances at invitation meetings.