ADULT CHAT LINE
CRICKET WEST INDIES LEGEND CHRISTIAN MALCOLM FACTFILE
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 whether it is that position or another lead role, his former Great Britain team-mate (below, right with sprinter Adam Gemili) should be lured back from Australia where he heads up their high performance and coaching programme.
“Christian has all the attributes you would want in a successful candidate and it would be great to see him get the opportunity,” said Campbell.
“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 promised a “new start” for the troubled sport in Britain. “There’s an issue within sport that we don’t have enough black coaches, we don’t have enough black people coming through as administrators,” she said last week.
“It’s something I’m absolutely passionate about addressing.” Campbell welcomed Coates’ comments, saying: “Those are the kind of words we have needed to hear for a long time.
In the past it’s often felt that the right people have not been given 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.”
As an athlete Malcolm, 41, a former two-distance world junior sprint champion, competed for Britain at four Olympics and won relay medals at two senior World Championships.
After hanging up his spikes he spent four years as head coach of Britain’s sprint relay teams and oversaw the men’s 4 x 100m triumph at the 2017 world championships.
Campbell, who won Olympic relay gold in Athens in 2004, added: “I don’t think any black coach or athlete would want something just
because they’re black. And 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 to have the opportunity.”
Malcolm moved to Melbourne to take up the role in February last year, and Australia won three silver medals at the Doha World Championships seven months later.
Toni Minichiello, who coached Dame Jessica EnnisHill to greatness, and Stephen Maguire, Scottish Athletics’ director of coaching, are also in the frame for Britain’s head coach role.
Applications close on Sunday week.
June 3, 1979, Newport, Gwent, Wales
World junior champion in 100m and 200m
World Championships: Bronze in 4x100m relay Commonwealth Games: Silver in 200m 1998, bronze in 200m European Championships: Silver in 200m
World Indoor Championships: Silver 200m
Head coach GB 4 x 100m relay (including men’s sprint gold at 2017 World Championships) Head of High Performance & Coaching, Athletics Australia
Football trials with QPR, offered contract by Nottm Forest (aged 15)