B of the Bang was a sculpture by Thomas Heatherwick next to the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester , England , which was commissioned to mark the 2002 Commonwealth Games ; it was one of the tallest structures in Manchester and the tallest sculpture in the UK until the completion of Aspire in 2008 . It was taller and leaned at a greater angle than the Leaning Tower of Pisa . The sculpture took its name from a quotation of British sprinter Linford Christie , in which he said that he started his races not merely at the " bang " of the starting pistol , but at " the B of the Bang " .