EDMONTON ? Tyler Christopher, Canada?s fastest ever 400-metre runner, has retired from track and field.
The 27-year-old Edmonton-based sprinter established himself as one of the best in his event when he finished a surprising third at the world championships in Athletics in Helsinki, Finland, in 2005. His time that day, 44.44 seconds, remains the Canadian outdoor record.
He also won the world indoor 400-metre title in 2008 and represented Canada at the Summer Olympics in Beijing that same year. Disappointingly, he did not advance out of the heats in Beijing.
Christopher had not competed since the national championships in 2009.
?I stopped because it?s a business. It was a business for me and when the business isn?t performing very well or doing much of a profit, then you shut it down,? Christopher said. ?It was just time.
?I went back and forth a lot of times with the decision and I?m happy with it.?
For the past two years, Christopher has been running his own landscaping business in Edmonton.
In 2007, Christopher won a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in a controversial race. Convinced he had false started, Christopher trotted to a near standstill out of the starting blocks, only to watch his competitors zoom past, leaving him behind.
Christopher bolted from dead last to overtake every runner but the winner, Chris Brown of Bahamas. He then booted a lane marker, pushed an official aside as he left the track, stormed through the interview area and complained about the shoddy start.
His passion crossed the line that night, but his burst of speed was extraordinary, a display of the talent that, under coach Kevin Tyler, Christopher harnessed to become one of the top sprinters in the world.
For a time, Christopher was among the contenders for the podium in every race he entered, a considerable feat in an event dominated by American sprinters, and U.S. star Jeremy Wariner, in particular.
?Tyler had many great races and was among the top six in the world from 2005 to 2008, challenging the best in the world in every outing,? said Alex Gardiner, Athletics Canada?s Olympic program head coach. ?On every national team he was a part of, Tyler?s exuberant confidence spilled over to his teammates.
?For six hard years, he trained and competed all over the world in an event considered by most as the ultimate test in pain threshold. We?re going to miss his style, his bravado and the flash of his smile as he crossed the finish line.?
Christopher will be honoured next Saturday as part of Athletics Canada?s awards & Hall of Fame induction banquet in Calgary, site of the 2011 Canadian track and field championships from June 22-25.
A four-time Canadian 400-metre champion, Christopher retires as the Canadian record holder in the indoor and outdoor 400 metres, the indoor 300 metres and as a member of the 4x200-metre relay team.
In 2005, Christopher was named Athletics Canada?s recipient of both the Jack Davies Trophy as the outstanding overall athlete and the Phil Edwards Trophy as the top athlete in track events.
Edmonton Journal
jmackinnon@edmontonjournal.com
Twitter.com/rjmackinnon
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Source: http://feeds.canada.com/~r/canwest/F260/~3/-uBbuHMx6w0/story.html
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