HAND THE BATON TO CHRISTIAN
Call to hire British relay star
DARREN CAMPBELL says the “time is right” for Christian Malcolm to be handed a top job in British athletics.
Malcolm, born in Wales of Jamaican descent, is in contention for the head coach role at UK Athletics.
And Campbell insists that whether it is for that job or another leading role, his former Great Britain team-mate must be lured back from Australia, where he heads up their high performance and coaching programme.
“Christian has all the attributes you’d want in a successful candidate and it would be great to see him get the opportunity,” said Campbell, Olympic 4x100m relay gold medallist in Athens in 2004.
“He’s been in the team, he’s coached the team, he knows everyone. Straight away that takes away the worry athletes might have about a new head coach coming in.”
UKA boss Joanna Coates has promised a “new start” for the troubled sport in Britain, saying: “There is an issue within sport that we don’t have enough black coaches, we don’t have enough black people coming through as administrators.”
“It’s something I’m absolutely passionate about addressing.”
Campbell welcomed her comments. He said: “Those are the kind of words we’ve needed to hear for a long time. In the past it’s often been felt the right people were not given the opportunities and listening to Joanna it sounds like that will change.
“That’s all anyone wants. If you then fail, or you’re not the best person for the job, so be it.
“I don’t want Christian to get it just because he’s black – rather because he’s been successful out in Australia and the timing is right for him.”
Malcolm, 41, a former two-distance world junior sprint champion, competed for Britain at four Olympics and won relay medals at two World Championships.
After hanging up his spikes, he spent four years as coach of Britain’s sprint relay teams and oversaw the men’s 4x100m triumph at the World Championships in London in 2017. He took up his role in Melbourne in February 2019.
Toni Minichiello, who coached Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, and Stephen Maguire, Scottish Athletics’ director of coaching, are also in the frame.
Minichiello’s pragmatic approach could bring change – while Maguire heading up the coaching team with Malcolm in charge of sprints and relays (and next in line for the top job) is another strong option.
Whoever gets the nod, Campbell said: “Everything needs challenging, because look where we’ve ended up.”