American swimming sensation Mark Spitz’s seven-medal haul fuelled a fantasy in a 10-year-old, who was delivering newspapers during the Munich Olympics. Steve Redgrave actually believed a prediction that he’d become a world champion.
Following in the footsteps of triple Olympic gold medallist Jack Beresford, Steve started as a single sculler. He soon rose in stature to carry the Union Jack at the Barcelona and Atlanta Games, a true torch-bearer of the sport.
From a school sprinter, Redgrave switched to a high endurance sport that required rowing flat out for seven minutes. When he struck gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, he was more relieved than elated, achieving what he’d set out to do. Barely three hours after his third gold at Barcelona, Redgrave was doing the laundry!
At Atlanta, his triumph in the coxless pair with Matthew Pinsent brought Britain its lone gold in the entire Games. Climbing out of his craft, the man from Marlow famously declared: “If anybody sees me go anywhere near a boat, they have my permission to shoot me.”
In a family vote to decide his comeback, his youngest child, who was bribed with a lollipop, tilted the scales in favour of Redgrave returning to rowing.
Quizzed about being the weak link in Britain’s campaign at the Sydney Games, Redgrave retorted, “No, I don’t think I am as good as I was in the last two Olympics. I’m better!”
Diabetes drove him to insulin injections before training and racing. The awesome oarsman’s fifth gold medal came in the coxless fours.
Redgrave’s place in the pantheon of sporting greats was sealed by the gold he won in each of the five successive Olympics (1984 Los Angeles, 1988 Seoul, 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney). He was awarded the MBE in 1987, the CBE in 1997 and was knighted in 2001.
Sir Steve Redgrave is currently involved with Sporting Giants, a British government initiative to encourage tall people take up volleyball, handball and, of course, rowing.
A. Joseph Antony
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