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Saturday, September 23, 2000
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REDGRAVE CARVES OUT HIS OWN OLYMPIC NICHE
REDGRAVE'S GOLDEN HIGH-FIVE
REDGRAVE SHOWS TRUE COLOURS

Redgrave carves out his own Olympic niche

Redgrave, third from left, with his gold-medal crew after winning his fifth Olympic gold medal
In the pantheon of Olympic heroes, even the feats of Steve Redgrave do not allow him to occupy a unique plinth. The multiple sports that are encompassed by the Games allow competitors of most ages and many talents to excel, ranging from a 10-year-old Greek gymnast in 1896 to a 72-year-old medal-winner in shooting in 1924. Some events inevitably allow sportsmen and women a long career at the top because they are physically less demanding than others, thus allowing competitors to participate internationally into middle age.

Redgrave’s record is astonishing because it has been established in an endurance sport and in the modern era when rivalry is so intense.

Two Hungarian fencers, Aladar Gerevich and Pal Kovacs, have won five gold medals or more in consecutive Olympics. Gerevich was a member of the victorious sabre team between 1932 and 1960, when he was 50 years old, while Kovacs joined him for the last five Games.

Their record is particularly remarkable because they probably would have won even more titles if the Games had not been cancelled in 1940 and 1944 because of the second world war.

American athletes Carl Lewis and Al Oerter and also Paul Elvstroem, the Danish yachtsman, have all won gold medals in four successive Games. Elvstroem took the Finn Class from 1948-1960, while Carl Lewis did the same in the long jump between 1984 and 1996.

Lewis, perhaps the greatest athlete of the last century, also piled up a total of nine titles, one short of the record of Ray Ewry, another American who collected ten in the now-discontinued standing jumps between 1900 and 1908, although these included the intercalated Games in Athens in 1906, which are not officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee. The other victories of Lewis came in the 100 and 200m and 4x100m relay in 1984, the 100m in 1988 and the sprint relay in 1992.

Oerter was one of the greatest Olympians of all-time, beating the current world record-holder in the discus at four successive Games between 1956 and 1968. He was what the Americans termed "the ultimate clutch performer", the competitor able to produce his best when it really mattered.

As he once said: "I beat inexperience in Melbourne; public expectancy in Rome; injury in Tokyo and old age in Mexico." On his first victory in 1956, he was so astonished at getting the title after throwing a lifetime best that his knees gave way on the podium and he nearly collapsed.

The American’s most astonishing victory came in 1964 when he took part suffering from torn rib cartilages and a damaged cervical disc, forcing him to throw wearing a surgical collar. Oerter was wrapped up like a mummy and had pain-killers just before the event. He was in third place after four rounds but then took off the surgical collar, which had been hampering him, saying, "These are the Olympics, you die for them", and produced the winning throw.

These are the men among whom Redgrave stands alongside in sport’s hall of fame. However, he could still improve his standing. The oldest man to win a rowing gold medal was Guy Nickalls, who was aged 41 years and 262 days when Britain won the eights in 1908. Redgrave will be 42 years old when the Athens Olympics take place.

JOHN GOODBODY
The Times

Redgrave's golden high-five

Steve Redgrave, Tim Foster, James Cracknell and Matthew Pinsent celebrate after winning gold. The team received their medals from Princess Anne
Steve Redgrave stands today at the pinnacle of international sport and Britain’s most successful Olympian of all time. His dedication to winning five gold medals in consecutive Games has become legendary as he has trained up to five hours a day for years on end, with scarcely a day’s rest.

Yet Redgrave admits he used to “skive off” exhausting exercise at school: “At cross-country, we used to cut corners and hide in hedges. I did it because of the group that I was with.” Redgrave never excelled at sport in his early days, although he was quite a talented sprinter, played cricket keenly and was the first team’s reserve goalkeeper at football.

Yet, it was the encouragement of Francis Smith, the head of English at Marlow Comprehensive School, where Redgrave was educated, that in 1976 pointed the 14-year-old boy towards rowing. Smith was captain of Marlow Rowing Club and was making up a four and asked Redgrave, who was one of the biggest boys in his year, if he would like to join the crew.

He had examined Redgrave’s hands and feet and assessed that he had the physical potential for the sport. Smith was right. Redgrave is now 6ft 5in tall and weighs almost 16 and-a-half stone. Redgrave remembers: “It was just something a bit different that you never got the opportunity to do.” But he was looking for something that was structured. Rowing, with its commitment to regular outings, was what he was seeking.

Under Smith’s careful tutelage, success came quickly, as it did for three other members of the school who went on to the 1988 Olympics. Redgrave’s fascination with rowing grew after he left school at 16, and he took only part-time jobs so that he could concentrate on a hobby that was rapidly becoming an obsession.

He narrowly missed representing Britain at the 1980s Olympics but made up for it by winning a silver medal, his first big success, in the world junior championships. For several years he was drawn towards single sculling, partly because he didn’t want to waste time rowing with people who were less single-minded than he was. The change came in 1984 when he was persuaded to be included in a coxed four, which took the Olympic title in Los Angeles - Britain’s first rowing gold medal since 1948.

One other member of that crew, Andy Holmes, joined Redgrave in a pair which won the Olympic title in 1988. The pair famously never socialised together and the relationship seemed almost purely a business arrangement with the end of product being that of winning titles.

Matthew Pinsent, with whom he won his next three Olympic gold medals may have come from a different background from Redgrave, given that he was educated at Eton and Oxford but the pair are clearly more relaxed in each other’s company. The pair represent Leander, the most celebrated club in British rowing whose headquarters are a large house at the end of the Henley Regatta course.

What has made Redgrave slightly less intense has been his marriage to Ann, a former international oarswoman who is here as the British team doctor, and also the birth of their three children, Natalie, Sophie and Zak. He has even been known to enjoy a round of golf, often with Pinsent as his partner.

Despite being amazingly, Redgrave is still vulnerable physically. He had an appendectomy three years ago and has also had to cope with late-onset diabetes. Despite this Redgrave is now statistically the most successful international oarsman of all time, having won more Olympic and world championships than any other person.

This status has only been achieved with a massive training load, fuelled by 6,000 calories a day, with thousands of hours on rowing machines and out on the river in all weathers, day after day, week after week.

Redgrave says: “It is not as bad as it once was. I have accepted it and over the years it has become easier because mentally I have known what standard I have to be at, although physically the workload is probably heavier. If I am honest deep down I have still enjoyed it. I have always got a buzz out of competing.”

Yet, the pleasure of family holidays beckons, without the constant round of training and competition. This is provided, of course, that he finally retires. He famously said after at Atlanta that anyone who saw him near a boat “has full permission to shoot me.”

He changed his mind then but this time even such an amazing athlete as Redgrave must finally accept an inevitable retirement.

JOHN GOODBODY
The Times

Redgrave shows true colours

Steve Redgrave stormed into the history books with a fifth successive Olympic rowing gold medal this morning setting himself up to become the first knight of the sport.

Pinsent, overwhelmed with joy, celebrates victory with Redgrave after their gold medal win

It is widely rumoured that Redgrave will be given the honour by Tony Blair following the CBE which he already holds, after his victory in the coxless fours early this morning.

The title capped the most remarkable career in the history of British Olympic sport with a stunning performance on the first overcast day of the Olympics. Redgrave triumphed before a full-house of 22,000 at the idyllic rowing venue for which tickets in many countries had been completely pre-sold before the event. Fifty-one countries battled for rowing honours.

Natalie, Redgrave’s eldest daughter was in floods of tears as the boats crossed the line - the finish was so close that she thought her father has failed to make it. His sisters too were overcome by the moment. Natalie was so overcome that all she say was: ”It’s good.” Redgrave’s father Geoff, aged 70, a retired builder only just made the race. For three days he has been in bed with Sydney flu and only heavy medication got him out to the finish line in time to see a moment of sporting history. “We been here since March and I’ve had no problem then we come to Sydney and I get the flu.”

”It’s wonderful,” said Michael Tucker, a family friend. “We didn’t travel 12,000 miles and sweet talk our way into these seats here for nothing.”

Kate Hoey, the Minister for Sport, said: ”No words can describe how proud we all are of Steve and the team. Never has a victory been so richly deserved. It’s a victory that makes Steve the greatest Olympic athlete of all time.”

The conditions were the worst for the entire week of the rowing programme the waters rippling in the light breeze - conditions which ironically favoured the heavier than average British coxless four.

Clutching a freshly-bought drink Redgrave’s daughter Sophie, aged 6, said: ”I’m so excited. I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I came out with Mummy and Daddy four weeks ago to see the race.” Blonde-haired Sophie had a tiny union flag stencilled on either cheek.

Draped in a full-size union flag, Sophie’s chaperone Jacki Sherry, aged 38, from Marlow and a family friend of the Redgraves, was just as excited as her small protege. Sporting larger union flags on her cheeks Ms Sherry said she has been following Redgrave’s career for 20 years with large amounts of memorabilia to prove it. A close friend of Redgrave’s sister Jane she has been with the family during the training camp on the Gold Coast in Queensland in the immediate run-up the race.

The only recent Redgrave triumph that Ms Sherry missed was his gold in Barcelona.

Along the banks at the start-finish line union flags far outnumbered those of other countries leaving even the host nation in the shade.

Britain’s greatest rower now seems likely to retire though he has twice before threatened to do so in Seoul after the 1988 Olympics and again after the Atlanta games four years ago.

Redgrave’s glittering career includes that nine world championships and three Commonwealth championships.

Dr. Richard Budgett, who was a member of the crew which won Redgrave’s first gold medal is Los Angeles in 1984 said: ”It was extremely emotional. I am in tears. It was desperate. I was just worried that the Italians would catch them after seeing Greg Searle and Ed Coode lose a medal in the same way in the coxless pairs earlier.”

The British four of Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent, who has now won three Olympic gold medals in succession, James Craknell and Tim Foster, too the title over the tree-lined 2,000 metres course in 5 minutes 56.24 seconds.

They set a stupendous pace leading from the start and quickly establishinga half length lead. The Italians, who had beaten the British crew in Lucerene in July, began their move after 1000 metres and over the last 250 metres attacked repeatedly.

The British crew, cheered on by thousands of their counrtymen who hung Union Flags over the balustrades just as football supporters do, held on in the a cacophony of noise. the Italians crept closer but the British held them off to win by 0.38 seconds.

Pinsent punched the air but Redgrave, whose ability to row himself to exhaustion is celebrated, collapsed over his oars, hardly able to smile at his unprecedented triumph.

Redgrave’s position in Olympic history is now unique. The only two Britons to have won four gold medals in the games are Henry Taylor and Paul Radimilovic, who both took four gold medals in aquatic events at the start of this century.

Internationally, Redgrave is now level with Pal Kovacs of Hungary who won five consecutive gold medals as a member of their successful sabre team between 1936 and 1960. However, his team colleague Aladar Gerevich of Hungary stands on an even higher plinth. He won gold medals in six consecutive games because he was also a member of the team in 1932. Their records are particularly impressive because they missed the chances of competing in the 1940 and 1944 games which were cancelled because of the war. The most number of gold medals ever won by an Olympian is ten by Ray Ewry who had all his victories in the standing jumps which were popular at the start of the century and two of his were won at the intercalated games of 1906 which were not recognised by the International Olympic Committee.

Standing on nine gold medals are two celebrated athletes of the modern era, the American athlete Carl Lewis who also took four consecutive gold medals in the long jump and Larissa Latynina the Soviet gymnast.

JOHN GOODBODY
The Times