Steve Redgrave (Rowing)
British rower Steven Redgrave is the third most bemedalled British athlete ever and the most successful athlete in rowing in the history of the Olympics. In five editions of the Games that stretched from 1984 to 2000, he captured five straight gold.
Redgrave's main discipline was sweep rowing, winning Olympic Gold while rowing both strokeside and bowside (starboard and port). In 2000, he won his fifth straight Olympic Gold Medal and hung up his paddles from the sport.
In August 2000, before his final appearance in the Olympic Games, the BBC broadcast which is referred to as the Gold Fever, a three-part BBC documentary which had tailed the coxless fours for the past years leading up to the 2000 Olympic Games. The documentary featured video diaries recording of the ups and downs of Redgrave on his pursuit for the elusive gold medal.
He was also bestowed with a gold Olympic pin by Juan Antonio Samaranch, the IOC President during that time to give due recognition for his feats in the sport.
As of this time he is the third most successful British athlete in the Olympics, after Sir Chris Hoy and Sir Bradley Wiggins. He was also the country’s flag bearer a couple of times at the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
Redgrave took the 36th spot in the poll of the 100 Greatest Britons which was conducted by BBC in 2002. In 2011 Redgrave was bestowed with the highly coveted BBC Sports Personality of the Year – Lifetime Achievement Award.
Related Pages
- Rowing at the Olympics
- Great Britain at the Olympics
- Sport in the UK
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