Christie spurned over drugs test

Christie won the 100m title at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992

Olympic chiefs decided Linford Christie was not suitable for consideration as one of Britain's favourite Olympic winners because he failed a drugs test.

The public has picked six names for the 2012 Olympic lottery scratch cards.

Christie was excluded from a shortlist the British Olympic Association (BOA) sent to assist with the choice.

Lord Sebastian Coe, Sir Steve Redgrave, Dame Kelly Holmes, Jonathan Edwards, Sally Gunnell and Duncan Goodhew were the chosen six.

National Lottery organisers Camelot have been set a target of raising £750m for the London Olympics from the special scratch cards featuring the country's favourite Olympic champions.

A BOA spokesman said: "Camelot kindly showed us their research proposals last year and we had no problems with what was planned.

"As part of their research, the BOA offered Camelot a list of past Olympic medal winners.

I'm honoured that thanks to the fantastic support I continue to receive from the British public I've been invited to appear on the scratch card Olympic hero Kelly Holmes

"This did not include any athlete who has been found guilty of a doping-related offence."

Camelot commissioned Ipso MORI to carry out a poll of the public, and lottery bosses insist that the top six names received the most votes from those who were unprompted.

Christie, the 1992 Olympic 100m champion, was banned for life by the British Olympic Association in 1999 after he failed a routine drugs test.

That test came following an indoor meet in Germany at a time when he was in semi-retirement from racing, but he has always denied intentionally taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Earlier this week, he said he should have been included in April's Olympic torch relay and slammed "institutionalised racism" in Great Britain.

Scratch cards have so far raised £300m for the Games and Olympics minister Tessa Jowell said sales were well ahead of schedule.

Jowell said: "It has been a terrific achievement so far - we have raised more money, more quickly than we expected."

Holmes, double Olympic champion in the 800m and 1,500m in Athens four years ago, said she was thrilled to be chosen as one of the six.

She said: "I'm honoured that, thanks to the fantastic support I continue to receive from the British public, I've been invited to appear on the scratch card."

Redgrave topped the list of most memorable moments from any Olympics for his race at the 2000 in Olympics which saw him win gold for a fifth successive Games.

Holmes's achievements in Athens were voted the greatest British gold medal-winning performances at Olympics, with Christie's triumph in Barcelona coming third in that category.