Commonwealth silver medallist Kyle Langford has issued an apology for laying hands on an official at the Watford British Milers Club (BMC) Grand Prix event on Saturday.
The 23-year-old was filmed grabbing the official by the neck during his warm-up before the men’s 800m A Race.
Langford released his apology on twitter, stating “I allowed pre-race tension to get to me too much and my behaviour fell well short of what it should be.
“I have apologised to the official involved and have also followed up in writing, but I know that this wasn’t acceptable and I apologise that I behaved in that way.
“The officials in the UK are amongst the best in the world, and their work at events like the BMC have meant athletes like me have had chance to compete in some brilliant races. Once again, I’m very sorry and will be sure never to repeat this behaviour.”
The incident started after the official told athletes preparing for later races to stay clear of ongoing action on the track.
The BMC have also released a public comment about the incident, stating: “We are aware of the incident and the matter was dealt with by the track referee. Kyle apologised on the day.”
A number of people have come to the defence of the athlete on social media. One user said: “It is good to hear that when someone is in the wrong, they recognise their mistakes and apologise for their behaviour.”
Another wrote in support of officials, emphasising “there are no events without them”.
UK Athletics are reviewing what happened.
