Derek Redmond: "I wasn't going to be beaten by the Olympics"

“That was the worst day of my career,” said Redmond about the vital day of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The day that saw Redmond etched into Olympic folk law, after the injury that ruined his career on track during the 400m semi-final.

It was a day that should have seen the Englishman smash all records and take Olympic Gold, after the disappointment four years prior at Seoul, where Redmond didn’t even make it to the start line: “I was in the best shape of my life, when it came to the heats I knew I was going to win.”

Redmond lined up for the Olympic 400 metre semi-final with those thoughts ringing in his ears, as he just made it out of the first turn, his hamstring snapped and he fell in sheer pain. After staying down on the track for a few seconds, Redmond rose to his feet: “What made me get up was the thought that I could still catch them. This time, I wasn’t going to be beaten by the Olympics.” 

After many stewards and officials asked Redmond to stop and move off the track to let the medics help, he just kept on going. As he turned into the home straight, he was joined by his father: “I could sense this person coming to grab me, then I realised it was my old man. He told me I didn’t have to do this, but I just wanted to finish, he said we’d finish it together.”

“It wasn’t a special moment at the time, I just wanted to finish. But when I crossed the line, all the emotion came out. That day was the worst of my career.”

Redmond then set his sights on running for his country again, but after many operations on his damaged hamstring, and being told he would never compete for his country again, he decided to call it a day to his career on track.

But Redmond did compete for his country again in very much different sport, that of Basketball. “After Barcelona I tried to make a comeback in athletics, but it was clear my hamstring wasn’t going to hold up to the level training needed. My attitude was, you don’t know me, don’t tell me I can’t compete for my country again.”

Redmond worked his way through the basketball ladder and after the England trails, he wore the Great British jersey once more.

Four years before the 1992 Olympics, Redmond and the Great British 400m relay team of Roger Black, John Regis and Kriss Akabusi, enjoyed their best success at World Championship’s, the first time America had been beaten since the 1950’s.

“We were expected to finish behind the American’s in those games, we ended up changing the order to Roger, to me, to John and then Kriss, and the plan just worked. We wanted to give Kriss the best chance going into the final leg, as long as he was 5 metres behind the Americans on the last leg, we knew we were going to win. That was most definitely the high of my career.”

The former runner has now turned his hand to a different form of racing, motorcycling racing. Redmond has set up his own team, RG Moto and competes in the No Limits Endurance series running around the British Isles every month at different circuits.

 The first race of the season was last weekend at the Snetterton race circuit in Norfolk, the team finished a respectable 10^th place in the overall standings, and second place in their class. It’s now becoming clear that Redmond has not lost his speed on the track, whichever type that is.