Sir Stephen Geoffrey Redgrave CBE (born on 23 March 1962, in Marlow, England) is a British rower who won a gold medal at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000, as well as an additional bronze medal in 1988.

As the only Briton ever to achieve this feat, Redgrave is widely considered to be Britain's greatest Olympian. Only four other Olympians achieved the same: Pál Kovács, Aladár Gerevich (the only one to surpass it with 6 consecutive golds), Reiner Klimke, and Birgit Fischer, and only one of those in an "endurance" event. Redgrave has also won nine Rowing World Championship gold medals.

Even by rowing standards, Redgrave is a big, powerful man. He stands 6 ft 5 inches (1.94) tall. In his prime, he weighed more than 100 kg. He rowed very fast times on the indoor rowing machine and once won the World Championship for Indoor Rowing. He was also a world class single sculler winning the British National Championship numerous times, but not quite a world champion class single sculler. He is best remembered, however, for rowing in sweep boats.

But what set Redgrave and his compatriots apart from their international brethren was not their dominance, but their consistency. They were exceptionally talented, but so were their competitors. Redgrave's boats did not win their races easily: Most were hard fought and won by small margins. Four of Redgrave's five Olympic victories were by less than 2 seconds. But race after race, year in and year out, Redgrave could be found at the top of the medal podium.

His feats in the last four years of his career were made even more difficult when Redgrave was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and, since 1997, diabetes. These ailments caused unforeseeable bouts of fatigue when rowing.

In addition to his Olympic medals, Redgrave won 9 gold medals, 2 silvers and a bronze at the Rowing World Championships. His 15 total Olympic and World Championship gold medals is unsurpassed by any other rower in history.

Redgrave was an outstanding competitor at Henley Royal Regatta, winning at least 13 times. (Diamond Scull, 1983, 1985, Double Sculls Challenge Cup 1981, 1982, the Silver Goblets & Nickalls Cup, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1995, and the Steward's Cup 1997 and 1998).

In 1989/1990 he was a member of the British bobsleigh team, as well as national champion.

Immediately after the winning 1996 Olympic Gold Medal in an interview Redgrave stated if anyone found him close to a rowing boat again they could shoot him.

In 2000, Redgrave won his fifth consecutive Olympic Gold Medal, retired from the sport, and became the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. In August 2000, the month prior to winning gold in Sydney, he took part in a 3-part BBC documentary entitled Gold Fever. This followed Redgrave and his coxless four team in the years leading up to the Olympics, including video diaries recording the highs and lows in the quest for his fifth consecutive gold.

He was made an MBE in 1987, CBE in 1997 and knighted in 2001.

In 2002, his achievement of winning gold medals at five consecutive Olympic games was voted the greatest sporting moment in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Sporting Moments.

In April 2006 he completed his third London Marathon, raising a record £1,800,000 for charity.[1]

Redgrave is a supporter of Chelsea FC.[2]

Achievements

• Olympic Medals: 5 Gold, 1 Bronze

• World Championship Medals: 9 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze

• Junior World Championship Medals: 1 Silver

• Thomas Keller Medal Outstanding International Rowing Career: 2001 (Awarded by FISA)

Olympic Games

• 2000 - Gold, Coxless Four (with Matthew Pinsent, Tim Foster, James Cracknell)

• 1996 - Gold, Coxless Pair (with Matthew Pinsent)

• 1992 - Gold, Coxless Pair (with Matthew Pinsent)

• 1988 - Gold, Coxless Pair (with Andy Holmes)

• 1988 - Bronze, Coxed Pair (with Andy Holmes and Patrick Sweeney)

• 1984 - Gold, Coxed Four (with Martin Cross, Adrian Ellison, Andy Holmes, Richard Budgett).

World Rowing Championships

• 1999 - Gold, Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Ed Coode, Matthew Pinsent)

• 1998 - Gold, Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Tim Foster, Matthew Pinsent)

• 1997 - Gold, Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Tim Foster, Matthew Pinsent)

• 1995 - Gold, Coxless Pair (with Matthew Pinsent)

• 1994 - Gold, Coxless Pair (with Matthew Pinsent)

• 1993 - Gold, Coxless Pair (with Matthew Pinsent)

• 1991 - Gold, Coxless Pair (with Matthew Pinsent)

• 1990 - Bronze, Coxless Pair (with Matthew Pinsent)

• 1989 - Silver, Coxless Pairs (with Simon Berrisford)

• 1987 - Gold, Coxless Pairs (with Andy Holmes)

• 1987 - Silver, Coxed Pairs (with Andy Holmes and Patrick Sweeney)

• 1986 - Gold, Coxed Pairs (with Andy Holmes and Patrick Sweeney)

• 1985 - 12th, Single Sculls

• 1983 - Single Sculls

• 1982 - 6th, Quadruple Scull

• 1981 - 8th, Quadruple Scull

Junior World Rowing Championships

• 1980 - Silver, Double Sculls

• 1979 - Single Sculls

Quote

After winning the Olympic Gold Medal in 1996, Redgrave, when asked if he would be competing in Sydney four years hence, said, live on British television: "Anyone who sees me go anywhere near a boat again, ever, you've got my permission to shoot me." (He reversed his decision in 1997)

Bibliography