A biography for Colin Jacksonhasn’t been written yet.
“An athlete needs to run against the best in the world as often as possible to get into a groove quickly and be ready for the World Championships.”
“I had my first accountant when I was 20 and he reminded me I had a tax bill to pay, so I had to learn to save for that. I also started putting into a pension when I was 22.”
“Linford can be a gentle and a good man who could inspire many people. But as an adult he also needs to take responsibility.”
“The first thing I would advise anybody running in winter to invest in is a woolly hat.”
“There was never any problem with racism when I was growing up - which some find surprising. Maybe the Welsh are a bit different. Cardiff has always had a community feel to it and everyone was very embracing.”
“When people think of the 100m they think about Carl Lewis, Ben Johnson or maybe Maurice Greene. When people think of the 110m hurdles I want them to think of Colin Jackson.”
“My knees lock up after long car journeys, and getting in and out of the bath is awkward.”
“When you spend all of your adult life doing something and suddenly that stops, you think: how am I going to earn money? How am I going to live?”
“Whoever you are, you must have your own personal value. Only get involved in products or events that you believe in. Definitely don't just do them for the money.”
“I'm not saying everything was better in the old days; it wasn't. We had no Lottery funding to give us money to live on, medical support and tremendous facilities. But we did produce winners.”
“I've always said that a lot of being good out of the blocks is down to genetics and your natural ability.”
“One of my uncles was a decent cricketer but no one in the family had thought of doing sport as a profession. My parents spent a lot of time taking me to athletics clubs and my sister to drama lessons.”
“There are just so many different things to experience in Wales. Contrary to popular belief it doesn't rain all the time.”
“A lot of people don't apply their talent and skills. I had a skill but I was not the most talented person. I just kept working hard at it. The real talent is applying it, not what is God-given. If you are blessed with a certain amount of ability, use it to the maximum.”
“As the athlete, you have the confidence of knowing that there's somebody who has got your back. A person who will do everything they can to make your life easier.”
“I only read magazines when I travel, which tend to be a combination of lads' mags, which keep me entertained, and publications about where I'm going, so that I know what's around and available when I arrive.”
“One of my biggest ambitions was to perform well at championships - I knew if I did that I was going to run fast anyway.”
“You break a world record and then you plateau. You know you won't get any better, so you're training for improvement but you know it's not coming. People expect more and more from you, but you just can't be bothered.”
“As an athlete I was paranoid - and still am - about the slightest pimple that appeared on me and would shoot straight to the doctor.”
“My favourite place to compete used to be Rome because conditions were always perfect; it was just a magical place. You feel a sense of history even when you are just warming up for the event.”