ATHLETICS - CHRISTIE AND JOHNSON ASKED TO JOIN OWENS ' TRIBUTE .
Adrian Warner
BONN 1996-08-28
Organisers hope to persuade Britain 's former Olympic 100 metres champion Linford Christie to join a " Dream Team " sprint relay in a special tribute to Jesse Owens at Friday 's Berlin grand prix .
Christie , who is retiring from international competition at the end of the season , was not due to compete in the German capital but Berlin promoter Rudi Thiel said : " We are still hopeful of getting him to come . "
Thiel has managed to get most of the Olympic 100 metres champions since 1948 to attend the meeting , which is being held in the stadium where Owens won four gold medals 60 years ago at the Berlin Olympics .
Canada 's Donovan Bailey , the Olympic 100 metres champion and world record holder , and Namibian Frankie Fredericks , the silver medallist at the recent Atlanta Games , have already agreed to run in the 4X100 metres team .
Thiel said on Wednesday that he had also asked Olympic 200 and 400 champion Michael Johnson to run as well as Christie .
" Most of the Olympic champions of the past are coming including Britain 's ( 1980 champion ) Allan Wells .
Christie belongs to them .
It would be great to have him here .
" There is a good offer ....
My minimum would be that he just ran the relay , " he said .
The 36-year-old Briton is still considering the offer and is expected to announce his decision later on Wednesday .
Owens 's widow Ruth is not well enough to attend but a message from her will be read out during the meeting and one of the sprinter 's relatives is expected to attend .
The relay race , which will include squads from Africa , the United States and Europe as well as the Owens ' quartet , will be held at the end of the meeting .
Organisers had hoped to include 1984 and 1988 champion Carl Lewis in the squad but he injured himself in Brussels last Friday .