Where is Linford Christie now? How Olympic hero went from Britain's fastest man to a shrewd...

Linford Christie is one of the most successful British athletes of all time.

Throughout his professional life, the 64-year-old accomplished numerous achievements by earning multiple medals and setting new records in track and field events. He stands out as one of just five British athletes who have achieved the impressive feat of winning gold medals at the Olympics, World Championships, European Championships, and Commonwealth Games - all considered highly prestigious events in the world of athletics.

However, his professional life was marred by a suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs in 1999, which resulted in his departure from the world of British athletics.

Before the 2024 Paris Olympics, Christie will reflect on his career with some of his family members, as a documentary about the former track runner's life will be shown on the BBC on Thursday.

"I don't usually spend time thinking about the past and thinking about my journey, so it was challenging for me to do that. But after doing so, I now realize how much I have accomplished and how fortunate I am to have amazing people supporting me," he shared in the documentary as reported by the I Paper.

In the following years, Christie tried his hand at coaching, working in broadcasting, and running a prosperous business. How did he transition from being Britain's quickest man to becoming a savvy entrepreneur?

Linford Christie, shown in the picture, is one of the most accomplished British athletes of all time.

The runner won 24 medals in his time as an athlete and was known as the speediest man in the UK for three decades in the 100m race.

Christie, born in Saint Andrew, Jamaica, relocated to London when she was seven years old.

He resided with his dad, James, and mom, Mabel, close to Loftus Road, where QPR Football Club is based. He used to frequently observe matches from his backyard or by climbing onto the roofs of nearby houses, as reported by The Guardian.

He had his first major experience with competition at the 1977 London Youth Games, but he didn't start participating in athletics until he was 18 years old.

Christie struggled to keep up with the fast pace of life and did not make it onto Team GB's Olympic relay squad for the 1984 Games in Los Angeles at first.

But inspired by his past mistake, he came back with a stronger drive and determination. With the guidance of his coach Ron Roddan, he started to impress everyone with his amazing sprinting skills.

Christie grew up in Saint Andrew, Jamaica before her family relocated to London when she was seven years old.

Christie is among five British athletes who have achieved the remarkable feat of winning gold at the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the European Championships, and the Commonwealth Games.

Roddan had actually sent Christie a letter after he was not chosen for the Olympics, telling him that he would not be coaching him anymore until he started taking the sport more seriously. Christie, who was in his early 20s, received the message.

'After deciding to fully commit, he showed great determination,' Roddan stated to The Telegraph. 'His goal was to excel in Britain, then in Europe, and finally on a global level. And he achieved it.'

In 1986, Christie later won the men's 100m race at the European Championships, and then came in second at the Commonwealth Games that same year.

It could have been the time he made his mark in the world of athletics.

Christie won the bronze medal at the 1987 World Championships and then went on to earn the silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.

In 1992, he had his greatest achievement when he won the 100m race at the Olympics, making him just the third British athlete to accomplish this. He ran the race in 9.96 seconds, setting a new record at the age of 32. This win also made him the oldest athlete to ever win the Olympic 100m race.

In that year, he also won a gold medal in the World Cup in Cuba. The next year, he came in first place in the 100m at the World Championships in Stuttgart.

In that time, Christie was dominating the sport, consistently winning medals and even taking home the gold in the 100m European Championships in Helsinki.

Christie ended his career with a grand total of 24 major championship awards.

After earning a bronze medal at the 1987 World Championships, Christie continued her success by winning a silver medal in the 100m race at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Christie made history as the first European sprinter to run faster than 10 seconds, clocking in at 9.97 seconds during the Seoul Olympics where he won a silver medal.

He held the European record for 16 years until Francis Obikwelu surpassed him at the Athens 2004 Olympics.

"I simply kept going, using what I had. The important thing was to keep moving forward with whatever resources were available. As they say, it's not always about being the fastest or the strongest, but about persevering until the very end," he shared with The Guardian, discussing his impressive record time.

In Seoul, Christie was found to have pseudoephedrine in her system.

"I had put in so much effort to achieve my goals, only to see it all go to waste," he expressed in an article for The Independent in 1995.

After hearing the news, Christie said that he couldn't hold back his tears, but he ended up not receiving a ban.

During the Olympic Games, there was a meeting held by the International Olympic Committee to discuss a disciplinary matter. After voting with a close margin of 11 to 10, the committee decided to give the athlete the 'benefit of the doubt'. They cleared the sprinter of any wrongdoing, suggesting that the traces of pseudoephedrine found in his system may have been a result of consuming ginseng.

"It was painful because I was aware that I didn't do anything wrong, I didn't mean to steal anything," he shared with the BBC documentary.

Christie, who was on the left side, later went on to win the 100 meters championship at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics.

After his success in Barcelona, Christie started his sports management company Nuff Respect with fellow Team GB athlete Colin Jackson.

The group, located in Twickenham, is currently active and supports top athletes, media personalities, and trainers in various fields.

They have a list of famous clients such as Mark Lewis-Francis, Iwan Thomas, and Sharron Davies.

Christie Banned And Retired

In 1996, Christie came back to compete in the 100m event at the Atlanta Olympics, but unfortunately he was disqualified in the final race after making two false starts.

The man, who is 64 years old and has eight children, will retire from professional running next year. However, he plans to participate in non-competitive races and events.

At a competition held indoors in Dortmund in 1999, Christie, who was 38 at the time, was found to have nandrolone in his system. Nandrolone is a type of anabolic steroid that certain athletes have taken in the past to increase muscle mass.

He had decided to end his retirement and participate in the race event.

At first, the British Athletic Federation declared Christie innocent, but that decision was later reversed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (now known as World Athletics).

Christie decided to retire from athletics five years after his big win at the Olympics in 1997. However, when he returned to compete in a race in 1999 after his retirement, he unfortunately tested positive for a prohibited substance.

The IAAF stated in a press release regarding the hearing that the arbitration panel disagreed with UK Athletics' decision to clear these athletes.

He was then given a two-year suspension by the governing organization.

He was supposed to be on BBC's coverage of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, but was removed from their panel of experts. The BBC said it was not the right decision to include him.

Christie has consistently denied any involvement in any wrongdoing and has consistently stood against the use of steroids in sports throughout his professional life.

"When I used drugs, it was for a specific purpose. I had already stepped back from the sport," he explained after being banned.

The retired runner later pursued a career in broadcasting, and has made appearances on various TV programs (pictured on the right).

Christie (on the right side) has also started coaching and has recently collaborated with Brunel University, as well as launching his own sports academy (shown on the left, with Zharnel Hughes).

Linford Christie's Current Activities

After holding the British record for almost three decades, Christie decided to try his hand at coaching.

In 2006, he was announced as a top mentor for athletes alongside two former students, Darren Campbell and Katharine Merry. Both athletes went on to win medals at significant competitions.

He also entered the world of broadcasting, making appearances on shows like Record Breakers and Garden Invaders on the BBC. Additionally, he has been seen on reality programs such as The Jump and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

In addition to managing Nuff Respect, the ex-sprinter operates the Linford Christie Academy, where athletes in track and field sports can enhance their speed and fitness. He has also collaborated with Brunel University as a coach for athletics.