Linford Christie

100m Olympic champion Linford Christie is one of Britain’s most successful athletes. Now, he is confronting his complicated legacy, in a story about race, respect and reputation.

9.79* tells the fascinating story of the controversial 100 metre race at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, where the scandalous tale of illegal substance abuse changed the world of athletics forever. Canadian Ben Johnson and the USA’s Carl Lewis had one of the greatest sporting rivalries of the 20th century, and their competition led to one of the most dramatic moments in Olympic history as Johnson took the gold medal but just hours later was stripped of his win after organisers announced he had tested positive for banned substances. For the first time, all eight 100m athletes and a number of other contemporaries reconstruct the race and the climate of the times - a fascinating period where steroid abuse became an open secret amongst athletes. With drug testing in its infancy and only performed at times of competition some athletes played roulette as they sought to maximise their performance without detection. Those who chose not to partake looked on in frustration as the playing field became increasingly uneven.