Sir Steve Redgrave

British rowing legend who won five consecutive Olympic gold medals from 1984-2000, making him one of Britain's greatest Olympians of all time.

Born in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, on 23 March 1962, Steven Geoffrey Redgrave discovered rowing at Great Marlow School and quickly demonstrated exceptional aptitude for the sport. Standing 6'5" with an imposing physical presence, he joined Marlow Rowing Club as a teenager and progressed through junior levels before making his international debut in the early 1980s. Redgrave's Olympic career began at Los Angeles 1984, where he won gold in the coxed four alongside Andy Holmes, Martin Cross, Richard Budgett, and cox Adrian Ellison. This victory launched an unprecedented sequence of Olympic success. At Seoul 1988, he claimed gold in the coxless pair with Holmes, before forming a legendary partnership with Matthew Pinsent that would dominate international rowing for the next decade. Together, they won coxless pair gold at Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996, establishing themselves as the sport's most formidable duo. His quest for a fifth consecutive Olympic gold faced a significant obstacle when he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1997. Despite this setback, Redgrave adapted his training and diet, continuing to compete at the highest level. At Sydney 2000, rowing in the coxless four with Pinsent, Tim Foster, and James Cracknell, he achieved his historic fifth gold medal. Beyond Olympic success, Redgrave accumulated nine World Championship gold medals and three Commonwealth Games titles. Redgrave's achievement of five consecutive Olympic golds spanning 16 years remains unmatched in endurance sports and places him among the greatest Olympians of all time. His feat is particularly remarkable given rowing's physical demands and the brief competitive lifespan typical in the sport. Following retirement, he received numerous honours, including a CBE in 1997 and knighthood in 2001. He was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2000 and has remained involved in rowing development and charitable work, cementing his status as British sport's most decorated Olympian.

Powerful stroke, exceptional endurance, masterful tactical awareness

Greatest British Olympian and most successful Olympic rower in history

• Olympic Gold 5x (1984-2000)
• World Champion 9x
• First to win 5 consecutive rowing golds
• CBE (1997)
• Knight Bachelor (2001)
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year (2000)