Christie: 'Give me lie detector test'

Christie insists he is innocent in the doping row

Britain's Linford Christie is willing to take a lie detector test to prove his innocence over doping allegations.

The former 100m Olympic champion was given a two-year ban by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) after testing positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone.

But in an interview with Brendan Foster for BBC TV's Olympic Grandstand, Christie insisted he has done nothing wrong.

And he also launched a stinging attack on the British media following criticism of his decision to train some British athletes for the Olympics away from the main squad base.

They call themselves the British media, and they are hindering British athletes, not helping them

  Linford Christie

Christie issued an invitation to the IAAF and the International Olympic Committee over the nandrolone affair.

"I would challenge them to sit down, and we will take a lie detector test because I haven't got anything to hide," he said.

He believes such a test would prove he did not intentionally take nandrolone to improve his performance.

"They need to do more research, not just on nandrolone, but so many other different substances to find out the reasons why people are testing positive," he said.

Christie is in Australia to resume his coaching responsibilities despite voluntarily withdrawing his Olympic accreditation.

He was invited by the British Olympic Association to work with his athletes - European 100m champion Darren Campbell and 400m specialists Jamie Baulch and Katharine Merry.

Criticism

But the decision to prepare for the Games away from the rest of the British Olympics side, a short drive from the official camp on Queensland's Gold Coast, has been attacked.

The athletes, part of a group now called Team Linford set up a base on Couran Cove island, run by Australia's former world record holder Ron Clarke.

Christie defended the decision, and attacked criticism of the move.

"I didn't want my athletes to be caught up in the media circus," he said.

"They call themselves the British media and they are hindering British athletes, not helping them.

"I believe they aren't being allowed to concentrate and get themselves into the kind of shape they should be in.

"It wouldn't be my intention to take the athletes away if it was better for them to be with their team-mates.

"My intention is to put the athletes in the best position possible."