Ron Roddan

Ron Roddan was the coach of Linford Christie OBE, the former sprinter from the United Kingdom, who he began coaching in 1979.[1] A former Civil Service laboratory assistant, Roddan was himself a sprinter in the Fifties and Sixties. During his coaching career, he has had more than 30 athletes selected for the British team.[2] Currently, Roddan coaches Rachel Christie, Linford's niece, who is a former winner of the Miss England beauty pageant.[3]

Roddan first met Christie while the sprinter was attending school in Fulham, London.[4]

Speaking in a High Court libel hearing in 1998, Roddan told the jury that a magazine article by John McVicar alleging Linford Christie took drugs to get to the top was a "fairy story", describing a suggestion that the Olympic gold medallist's impressive physique may have been due to taking steroids or other performance-enhancing banned substances as "ridiculous".[5] In 2001, in response to claims by Sebastian Coe that Christie's time as British athletic captain was marred by "continual conflict," Roddan said he was "surprised that someone of such so-called brevity would come out with a load of rubbish like this" and insisted that Christie enjoyed the support of his fellow athletes in the various British athletic teams that he competed in.[6]

In February 2011, Roddan received London’s Regional Council Performance Coach of the Year Award. Prior to this, in October 2010, he had received the national Performance Coach award at the England Athletics Hall of Fame and National Volunteer Awards.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Christie responds in Coe row London Evening Standard, UK. Published 14 February 2001. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  2. ↑ Close-up: Ron Roddan Power behind the glory The Independent. Published 9 June 1996. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  3. ↑ I won Miss England to prove being black is NEVER an excuse for failure says Linford Christie's niece The Daily Mail. Published 25 July 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  4. ↑ My mentors The Guardian. Published 10 February 2007. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  5. ↑ Christie drug claims 'fairy story' BBC News, UK. Published 19 June 1998. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  6. ↑ Christie responds in Coe row London Evening Standard, UK. Published 14 February 2001. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  7. ↑ Ron Roddan receives London Performance Coach of the Year Award England Athletics - National Governing Body for English Athletics. Published 4 February 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.