Leon Reid

Born in the West Country, England, Leon Reid won silver medals for Great Britain at the 2011 European Youth Olympic Festival, 2013 European Athletics Under-20 Championships and 2015 European Athletics U23 Championships. He also won a relay silver medal for England at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games. He later decided to represent Northern Ireland – the nation of his mother's birth – and made his international debut for them at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. He attempted to transfer his allegiance to represent Ireland, but this move was blocked following a temporary freeze on such moves by the International Association of Athletics Federations.^[3] Once the freeze was lifted, Reid began competing for Ireland, with his first event the 2018 European Championships.

Reid took bronze in the men's 200 metres at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Initially he finished fourth, but was elevated when Zharnel Hughes was disqualified for a lane violation.^[4] This was the first Commonwealth Games athletics medal for Northern Ireland in 28 years.^[5][6]

Reid won the 200 metres at the Irish Athletics Championships in June 2021, and was nominated for the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics team.^[7] Initially, the Olympic Federation of Ireland rejected Reid's selection to the team, due to his pending trial for conspiracy to supply cocaine, but he was included in the team after filing an appeal.^[7] The Olympic Games took place in August 2021, and Reid qualified for the 200 metres semi-finals by finishing fifth in his heat, with a season's best time of 20.53 seconds. He failed to qualify for the final after finishing seventh in his semi-final.^[8]

Reid was selected for the Northern Irish team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but on 12 July 2022, he was barred from participating on security grounds.^[9]

Reid was born in Bath to an English-Jamaican father, and a mother from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was adopted by a woman whose parents were from the Republic of Ireland.^[10] He has self-identified as both Northern Irish and Irish.^[3]

In April 2021, Reid was charged at Bristol Crown Court with conspiracy to supply cocaine and related offences.^[11][7] At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Reid competed in the men's 200 metres, advancing to the semi-finals and finishing 20th overall in the world.

According to **The Times**, Reid described his flat as "like living in a drug den", stating that others present were engaging in drug use and that he was not personally involved in handling drugs.^[12]

According to The Times, Reid was spending periods of time abroad during the relevant period, and the flat was being used by an associate while he was away.^[13]

• List of Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics (men)