Linford Christie, pictured at the Lee Valley Athletics Park, north London. Photograph: Tristan Bejawn/The Guardian
From running to the shops in Jamaica to wrapping himself in the Union Jack, the Olympian has had phenomenal highs and bruising lows. He looks back on an extraordinary life in athletics
Thu 13 May 2021 06.00 EDT
Linford Christieâs Olympic training unwittingly began many years before he began to take over the world, 100 metres at a time. As a child, he spent seven formative years in Jamaicaâs most populous parish, St Andrew, where his grandmother, Anita, would send him off to the shops with a cunning technique to ensure that he
Linford Christie: Britain’s fastest ever sprinter on race, patriotism and persistence Tumaini Carayol
Linford Christie’s Olympic training unwittingly began many years before he began to take over the world, 100 metres at a time. As a child, he spent seven formative years in Jamaica’s most populous parish, St Andrew, where his grandmother, Anita, would send him off to the shops with a cunning technique to ensure that he came back promptly. “She’d spit on the floor and say: ‘Don’t let it dry before you come back,’” laughs Christie over Zoom. “She was most probably my first coach.” Christie has no recollection of ever getting in trouble upon his return, an indication that even in those days he ran like the wind.
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Scoring was a struggle, but the Lakers were up for the fight, Wesley Matthews sending the game to overtime with a tip-in and Talen Horton-Tucker sending the Knicks home with a game-winning three in overtime, capping a wild 101-99 win.
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Already missing James and starting point guard Dennis Schroder, the Lakers also lost fill-in starter Alex Caruso in the first half, the sore foot that’s bothered him for the last two games finally catching up with him.
Talen Horton-Tucker drives to the basket guarded by Frank Ntilikina.
Ex-athletics chief Diack returns to Senegal
Issued on: Lamine Diack (C) Thomas SAMSON AFP/File 2 min
Dakar (AFP)
The former head of global athletics, Lamine Diack, sentenced by a French court to four years in prison for corruption, has returned to Senegal, a relative said on Tuesday.
Diack s relative, who requested anonymity, said that his family greeted him with joy, fervour and gratitude as he got off the plane late Monday.
The 87-year-old Diack led the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), now renamed World Athletics, from 1999 to 2015.
He was found guilty in September of corruption in covering up Russian doping cases and was sentenced to four years in prison, of which two years were suspended, and fined 500,000 euros (600,000 dollars). Diack has appealed.
AP Sportlight
May 12
1909 The Preakness Stakes is held in Maryland after 16 runnings in New York. As part of the celebration marking the return of the Preakness, the colors of the race’s winner were painted onto the ornamental weather vane at Pimlico Racecourse for the first time.
1917 Omar Khayyam, ridden by Charles Borel, becomes the first foreign-bred (England) colt to win the Kentucky Derby with a 2-length victory over Ticket.
1924 Walter Hagen wins the PGA championship with a 2-up victory over Jim Barnes.
1970 Ernie Banks hits his 500th career home run off Pat Jarvis in the Chicago Cubs’ 4-3 victory over Atlanta at Wrigley Field.