He was running well: he recorded the fastest time of the first round and he won his quarterfinal heat. As he settled into the blocks for the start of his semifinal race, Redmond's thoughts turned to his father, Jim, and the support he had always given Derek.
Derek got off to a clean start and was running smoothly when, about m into the race, his right hamstring muscle tore and he fell to the ground. When he saw the stretcher-bearers rushing towards him, he knew he had to finish the race. Redmond jumped up and began hobbling forward despite the pain he felt. Having been told, two years after Barcelona, that he would never represent his country again at sport, he began to play basketball; and amazingly went on to prove that surgeon wrong.
I had England schoolboy trials in basketball growing up and started playing again - I just worked my way through the ranks until I was in the England team! I received a nice letter back from him, apologising for his choice of words. I played professionally then semi-pro. I wasn't the best player by any stretch, but I was per cent committed.
That competitive personality, and hunger for adventure, was to lead him in another sporting direction several years later. By its end I was doing mph on the motorway and wheelies at mph on the dual carriageway - I realised that it was dangerous so thought I'd better start going along to track days instead.
I went to my first one in , and eight in total that year, then bought an old race bike. In I went to 43 and went to a few race schools such as the Ron Haslam one - and started endurance racing in I ran my own endurance team and we used to share bikes; one day he suggested that we join forces and I bought half the team! I do some coaching on the side now, but haven't the time to commit to it full-time unfortunately. You may have seen a victorious Redmond on television in the Nineties winning Celebrity Gladiators.
But his association with the show fronted by John Fashanu and Ulrika Johnson did not end there. I did that for two years. He was less successful in a recent airing of Celebrity Wipeout, but was happy to miss out to another famous British Olympian. It's a lot harder than you think I'd been battered, spun around, dropped in water and was happy for it to end at that point! Redmond will do some work during the London Games later this year, but have plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere as a spectator also.
He's honoured to be asked to do it. And if he breaks down, maybe I'll help him this time The former Chelsea boss has emerged as the frontrunner among bookmakers to replace Daniel Farke at Carrow Road. The Three Lions were held at Wembley in their last outing.
Their run remains the second fastest 4xm run in history. Having now proved himself as a relay athlete, Derek went about trying to do the same as an individual runner.
At the Olympics in Barcelona, representing his country he became part of one of the most inspirational scenes in Olympic history.
In the m semi-final Derek went into the race amongst the favourites but as he passed the m mark he tore his hamstring.
0コメント