Ten Years Ago...

Before this month has ended, I would like to bring the HTBS readers attention to a ten year jubilee. Ten years are maybe not much for an old sport like rowing, but a decade ago something amazing happened at the Olympic rowing event on Penrith Lakes outside of Sydney. On Saturday, 23 September 2000, the British oarsmen Matthew Pinsent (stroke), Tim Foster (3), Steve Redgrave (2), and James Cracknell (bow) took the gold medal in the coxless four. This was Redgrave’s fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal which is a unique thing both in rowing and Olympic history.

I actually wrote about the Brits’ Olympic success in my little column for Rowing & Regatta this month, but due to lack of space I was not able to squeeze in that Regrave was honour some months later with a knighthood by the Queen. Sir Steve was the second oarsman to be honoured this way; the first one was the famous oarsman and coach, ‘Tarka’ Gold. Redgrave’s long-time rowing partner, Matthew Pinsent, was four years later also honoured with a knighthood by Elizabeth II.

James Cracknell, now recovered after his nasty accident in July, writes about his hero, Sir Steve, in an article in The Daily Telegraph. Read the article here.