Christie loses cool with media

Britain's senior Olympic official came to the defence of Linford Christie yesterday and rebutted claims he was casting a drugs cloud over the British team as the disgraced former Olympic champion was embroiled in a row in Queensland.

Christie swore at a camera crew after two of his athletes were forced to undergo drug tests while they warmed up at the Griffith University track being used by the British squad.

European 100 metres champion Darren Campbell and Katharine Merry, the leading 400 metres runner in Europe this season, were tested as part of the International Olympic Committee's crackdown ahead of the Games.

The duo underwent tests being carried out by the Australian Sports Drugs Agency in the full glare of the media after apparently being delayed arriving at the track from their base at Couran Cove.

Christie, who has been banned for two years following a positive test for nandrolone, is staying with his athletes 30 minutes away from the team at a facility run by Australia's former world record holder Ron Clarke.

The 1992 Olympic 100 metres champion was seen putting a consoling arm around Campbell before he was tested, but Christie then swore at a British television reporter when approached for an interview.

Christie withdrew his request for coaching accreditation last month aware he might be banned from Sydney although his unofficial role with the team has been criticised.

But Craig Reedie, chairman of the British Olympic Association, insisted that Christie's presence was not leaving a shadow over the whole team.

"I am certainly not aware of any shadow being cast anywhere around this camp," said Reedie. "All I see are happy, smiling faces among the athletes.

"As a National Olympic Committee (NOC) our priority here is to look after the athletes. Linford advises three athletes in this team. He is here as a private individual. He is not going to Sydney."

Campbell and Merry were part of a group of 20 athletes who have been tested during the past 24 hours. It is the third time the testers have called on the British squad since they arrived in Australia 10 days ago.

"The team managers and athletes have been told consistently for the last 12 months about the degree and extent of testing that would be here. I don't think it comes as that much of a surprise," added Reedie.

"If you walk off a plane, turn up and someone says sorry can you pee in a bottle, you'd say wait a minute. There are timing elements. But when is there a good time to ask an athlete? We are relaxed about it."

Meanwhile, American swimmer Gary Hall has fired back at Kieren Perkins, describing his drug slurs as "south of distasteful". Australian dual Olympic gold medallist Perkins called Hall a drug cheat on Tuesday after Hall claimed Australia would be smashed "like guitars" by the Americans in the Sydney Olympic pool.

Perkins earned a rebuke from his national Olympic committee for his remarks when he responded to Hall's jibe by saying: "I don't take a lot of notice of drug cheats."

Hall returned serve when he e-mailed the Sydney Morning Herald to give his view of events. "It was difficult to arrive at the headlines that have plagued my stay here thus far," Hall wrote in the e-mail published in yesterday's edition. I was shocked to see the quote, since it was taken from an article that I had put a lot of thought to.

"I wish that Kieren Perkins would have taken the time to see what context the quote originally came from.

"The comments he made about me being a `drug cheat' were out of bounds and stung more than I care to admit - drudging up painful memories of an experience I've suffered dire consequences for. I have not cheated and I never will cheat. I've always been outspoken - about many things, one of them being my admiration for Australia, Australians and Australian swimming.

"Being lumped in with the East Germans, the Chinese and (Ireland's) Michelle Smith is south of distasteful. I'll manage to rebound, I always do."

Hall, who won silver medals in the 50 metres and 100 metres freestyle at the 1996 Atlanta Games, was suspended by the world governing body FINA for three months in 1998 after testing positive for marijuana.