Medal record
Sir Steven Redgrave in May 2011
Competitor for  Great Britain
Men's Rowing
Olympic Games
Gold	1984 Los Angeles	Coxed Four
Gold	1988 Seoul	Coxless Pair
Bronze	1988 Seoul	Coxed Pair
Gold	1992 Barcelona	Coxless Pair
Gold	1996 Atlanta	Coxless Pair
Gold	2000 Sydney	Coxless Four
World Championships
Gold	1986 Nottingham	Coxed Pair
Gold	1987 Copenhagen	Coxless Pair
Silver	1987 Copenhagen	Coxed Pair
Silver	1989 Bled	Coxless Pair
Bronze	1990 Tasmania	Coxless Pair
Gold	1991 Vienna	Coxless Pair
Gold	1993 Račice	Coxless Pair
Gold	1994 Indianapolis	Coxless Pair
Gold	1995 Tampere	Coxless Pair
Gold	1997 Aiguebelette	Coxless Four
Gold	1998 Cologne	Coxless Four
Gold	1999 St. Catharines	Coxless Four
Competitor for  England
Commonwealth Games
Gold	1986 Edinburgh	Single Sculls
Gold	1986 Edinburgh	Coxless Pair
Gold	1986 Edinburgh	Coxed Four

Sir Steven Geoffrey Redgrave CBE (born on 23 March 1962, in Marlow, Buckinghamshire) is a retired English rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000 as well as a bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Games. He has also won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and nine World Rowing Championships gold medals. He has carried the British flag at the opening of the Olympic Games on two occasions. In 2011 he received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award

Redgrave is one of only four Olympians to have won a gold medal at five consecutive Olympic Games. This achievement led to him being hailed as Britain's greatest Olympian.^[1][2][3]

He married Ann Callaway (now Lady Redgrave) in 1988; an accomplished rower in her own right, Ann represented Great Britain in the women's eight at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 and was Chief Medical Officer to the GB rowing team from 1992 - 2001.

Personal life[link]

Redgrave was educated at Great Marlow School, a state secondary comprehensive school in Marlow in Buckinghamshire.

Redgrave has three children. His elder daughter Natalie took up rowing in 2009 ^[4] and started competing for Oxford University Women’s Boat Club in 2010,^[4] and competed in the 2011 women's boat race, which Oxford won.^[5] He has another daughter, Sophie, and a son, Zak.

Rowing career[link]

Redgrave stands 1.95 metres (6 ft 5 inches) tall. In his prime, he weighed more than 100 kilograms (16 st; 220 lb). His primary strength was in sweep oared rowing, where he has the distinction of being one of the few oarsmen to have won Olympic Gold rowing both bowside and strokeside (starboard and port). He also enjoyed success in indoor rowing, winning the World Championship for Indoor Rowing in 1991.^[6] He was also a successful single sculler winning the Wingfield Sculls five times between 1985 and 1989, but not quite a world champion class single sculler. Rowed for Marlow Rowing Club From 1991 onwards, Redgrave, and the crews in which he rowed, became renowned for their consistent dominance. They set themselves apart from many other internationally successful crews by winning almost every time they raced. Indeed, the very occasional lapses in this winning run, such as the Lucerne regatta in 2000, were regarded with surprise by both the rowing community and the press.

For much of his career, Redgrave battled against severe illnesses. In 1992, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (although he had continued to train for a considerable time prior to diagnosis). In September 1997, type 2 diabetes was added to his list of ailments. Through careful management, however, he was able to continue training right up to the Sydney Olympics.^[7]

In addition to his Olympic medals, Redgrave won 9 gold medals, 2 silvers, and a bronze at the Rowing World Championships. His 14 total Olympic and World Championship gold medals is unsurpassed by any other rower in history, although later equalled by his long-time rowing partner Matthew Pinsent.

Redgrave was an outstanding competitor at Henley Royal Regatta over twenty years. He won the Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup for coxless pairs seven times (twice with Andy Holmes, once with Simon Berrisford and four times with Matthew Pinsent), the Stewards' Challenge Cup for coxless fours five times, the Diamond Challenge Sculls twice, the Double Sculls Challenge Cup once (with Eric Sims) and the Queen Mother Challenge Cup for quadruple sculls once.

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.^[8]

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 crewmates in the coxless four in the years leading up to the Olympics, including video diaries recording the highs and lows in the quest for his fifth consecutive team gold.

He was made an MBE in 1987, a CBE in 1997, and he became a Knight Bachelor in 2001.^[1]

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.

Life after rowing[link]

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

In April 2008 Redgrave took part in the controversial Olympic Torch relay for the games in China.

Redgrave is a supporter of Chelsea football club.

Steve Redgrave is also commemorated at Burnham Grammar School, Redbridge Community School and Broadlands Science and Engineering School as one of the four houses there.

Also, at Linton Village College in Cambridgeshire, there is a school faculty (house) named after him.

He also starred in Top Ground Gear Force (although he did not realise until it was too late) for Sport Relief in 2008, where the Top Gear Team (Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond) took on Ground Force with predictable results, and trashed his garden.

He has also launched his own Fairtrade Cotton Brand of Clothing called FiveG which is sold in Debenhams department stores.^[9]

He is also involved in starting a Rowing academy in India at Lavasa the new Hill City being developed near Pune City.^[10]

In 2010 Redgrave was named a Patron of the Jaguar Academy of Sport^[11] .

Achievements[link]

• 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[link]

• 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[link]

• 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)
• 1989 - 5th, Coxed Pairs (with Simon Berrisford and Patrick Sweeney)
• 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[link]

• 1980 - Silver, Double Sculls
• 1979 - Single Sculls

Henley Royal Regatta[link]

• 2001 - Queen Mother Challenge Cup
• 2000 - Stewards' Challenge Cup
• 1999 - Stewards' Challenge Cup
• 1998 - Stewards' Challenge Cup
• 1997 - Stewards' Challenge Cup
• 1995 - Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup
• 1994 - Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup
• 1993 - Stewards' Challenge Cup
• 1993 - Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup
• 1991 - Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup
• 1989 - Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup
• 1987 - Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup
• 1986 - Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup
• 1985 - Diamond Challenge Sculls
• 1983 - Diamond Challenge Sculls
• 1981 - Double Sculls Challenge Cup

Other[link]

• 1996 - Winner of UK Celebrity Gladiators
• 2000 - BBC Sports Personality of the Year
• 2010 - Awarded the degree of Hon LLD from St Andrews University
• 2011 - BBC Sports - Lifetime Achievement Award

Bibliography[link]

• Steve Redgrave: A Golden age (2000) with Nick Townsend (ghostwriter). ISBN 0-563-55182-8
  • 2nd edition: 2001 ISBN 0-563-53821-X
• Steve Redgrave's Complete Book of Rowing (1992). ISBN 1-85225-124-7
  • 2nd edition: 1995 ISBN 1-85225-230-8
• You Can Win At Life! (2005) with Nick Townsend. ISBN 0-563-48776-3.

Redgrave has also written a foreword to Diabetes: The at Your Fingertips Guide 5th edition (2003) ISBN 1-85959-087-X

See also[link]

• Jack Beresford, rower, Britain's most successful Olympian prior to Redgrave's fourth Gold medal, with three Gold and two Silver medals from 1920–1936
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event

Styles and Honours[link]

• Mr Steve Redgrave (1962–1987)
• Mr Steve Redgrave MBE (1987–1997)
• Mr Steve Redgrave CBE (1997–2001)
• Sir Steve Redgrave CBE (2001–)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Steve Redgrave

• Official Website
• Sir Steve Redgrave Fairtrade Cotton FiveG Clothing range
• Virtual Library rowing information
• Marlow information
• Profile on RowingOne
• Video 1988 Pair(2-) Olympic race
• Video Sir Steve Redgrave discusses the key to a winning team
• Sir Steve Redgrave: myplace ambassador - creating places for young people to go to(video)
• The Sonshine of Our Lives: Sheila Redgrave tells the broader story of her son Sir Steve Redgrave
• Motion in Action Inspirational Story on Steve Redgrave

Sir Chris Hoy

Hoy at the parade in London to celebrate the achievements of British competitors at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Sir Christopher Andrew Hoy
Nickname	The Real McHoy[1]
Born	(1976-03-23) 23 March 1976 (age 36) Edinburgh, Scotland
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Weight	92 kg (200 lb; 14.5 st)[2]
Team information
Current team	Sky Track Cycling
Discipline	Track
Role	Rider
Rider type	Sprinter
Amateur team(s)
1984–1986 1986–1991 1992–1993 1994–2001 2001–2003 2004 2005–2007	Scotia BMX GT Factory BMX Team Dunedin CC City of Edinburgh RC Team Athena Team Persil Team Wolfson Microelectronics / Miller
Professional team(s)
2008–	Team Sky+ HD
Medal record Competitor for  Great Britain Track cycling Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing Sprint Gold 2008 Beijing Team sprint Gold 2008 Beijing Keirin Gold 2004 Athens 1 km time trial Silver 2000 Sydney Team sprint World Championships Gold 2002 Ballerup 1 km time trial Gold 2002 Ballerup Team sprint Gold 2004 Melbourne 1 km time trial Gold 2005 Los Angeles Team sprint Gold 2006 Bordeaux 1 km time trial Gold 2007 Palma de Mallorca 1 km time trial Gold 2007 Palma de Mallorca Keirin Gold 2008 Manchester Sprint Gold 2008 Manchester Keirin Gold 2010 Ballerup Keirin Gold 2012 Melbourne Keirin Silver 1999 Berlin Team sprint Silver 2000 Manchester Team sprint Silver 2006 Bordeaux Team Sprint Silver 2007 Palma de Mallorca Team Sprint Silver 2008 Manchester Team sprint Silver 2011 Apeldoorn Keirin Silver 2011 Apeldoorn Team sprint Silver 2011 Apeldoorn Sprint Bronze 2001 Antwerp Team sprint Bronze 2003 Stuttgart Team sprint Bronze 2004 Melbourne Team sprint Bronze 2005 Los Angeles 1 km time trial Bronze 2010 Ballerup Team Sprint Bronze 2012 Melbourne Sprint European Championships Bronze 2010 Pruszków Team Sprint Competitor for  Scotland Commonwealth Games Gold 2002 Manchester 1 km time trial Gold 2006 Melbourne Team sprint Bronze 2002 Manchester Team sprint Bronze 2006 Melbourne 1 km time trial

Sir Christopher Andrew "Chris" Hoy, MBE (born 23 March 1976 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is a Scottish track cyclist representing Great Britain and Scotland. He is a multiple world champion and Olympic Games gold medal winner. With his three gold medals in Beijing 2008, Hoy became Scotland's most successful Olympian,^[3] the first Briton to win three gold medals in a single Olympic games since Henry Taylor, in 1908, and the most successful Olympic male cyclist of all time.

Life[link]

Hoy went to school at Stockbridge Primary School, a state school in Edinburgh. He subsequently attended George Watson's College, a prestigious Edinburgh private school before continuing his studies at the University of St Andrews in 1996, before transferring to Moray House at the University of Edinburgh from where he graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Applied Sports Science in 1999. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Edinburgh in July 2005 and another from Heriot-Watt University in November 2005.^[4] Hoy returned to St Andrews University in June 2009 to be awarded an honorary Doctor of Science. Hoy was inspired to cycle at age six by the 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.^[5] Before track cycling, Hoy raced BMX between the ages of 7 and 14 and was ranked second in Britain, fifth in Europe and ninth in the world. He received sponsorship from Slazenger and Kwik-Fit and was competing in Europe and the US. Hoy also rowed for the Scottish junior team, coming second in the 1993 British championship with Grant Florence in the coxless pairs. He played rugby as part of his school's team.^[4]

Hoy joined his first cycling club, Dunedin CC, in 1992 and began concentrating on track cycling in 1994, when he joined the City of Edinburgh Racing Club.^[4]

Achievements[link]

Hoy at the 2008 World Championships in Manchester

1999–2007 career[link]

The Kilo and the Team Sprint[link]

Hoy's main events were the 1 km Time Trial, known as the Kilo, and the Team Sprint. It was in the Team Sprint that he collected his first World Championship medal, a Silver in 1999. This event involved the three riders, a simultaneous standing start, completing three laps of the 250 m track, with one rider taking the front for each lap and then dropping out. Hoy usually rides as the third man in this event, completing the closing lap. Regular team mates in the Team Sprint over the years have included Craig Maclean, Ross Edgar, Jamie Staff, Jason Queally, Matthew Crampton and Jason Kenny. The team's first World Title came in 2002, in the Ballerup Velodrome, Copenhagen. Hoy also won the Kilo title the same year beating Arnaud Tournant by 1/1000 of a second. A medal has been achieved in the Team Sprint each year since at the World Championships, including a further Gold in 2005. The team's regular opponents in recent years have been the French team.

Hoy was also the world's best 1 km Time Trial rider for a number of years, before ceasing to ride the event when it was removed from the Olympic programme after the 2004 games. This is a raw power sprinting event, which involves the rider covering one kilometre (four laps) as fast as possible from a standing start. His first World Title came in this event in 2002, followed by further titles in 2004, 2006 and 2007. He won the event at the 2004 Olympics, his first Olympic title.

Post-2004 Olympics[link]

Following the decision to remove the Kilo from the Olympic programme after the 2004 games, Hoy sought to develop in other events.^[6] The first of these was the Keirin. This event involves between six and eight riders following a small motorbike (the Derny) around the 250m track for 5.5 laps, as the bike slowly builds up the speed. The bike pulls off with 2.5 laps to go and it is an all out fight for the line. Hoy had previously competed at the Keirin in various events but one of his first major successes was at the Manchester round of the World Cup Classics Series in 2007, shortly before the World Championships. His victory in this event carried forward into the World Championships and he came home first to take the title, ahead of team mate Ross Edgar.

This was a milestone for Hoy as it showed he was developing from just a pure power sprinter, in events like the Kilo and Team Sprint, into also being one of the best in the world at more tactical sprinting events like the Keirin^[7] and the Sprint.

2007 world record attempt[link]

On May 12th 2007, Hoy attempted the world record for the kilometre. He fell 0.005 seconds short, clocking 58.880. He set a record for the 500m flying start at 24.758 seconds, a second less than the 25.850 set by Arnaud Duble. Hoy set the sea-level kilometre record of 1 minute 0.711 seconds by winning the Olympics in Athens in 2004. The outright record of 58.875 seconds is held by Arnaud Tournant (France), set during 2001 at altitude in La Paz, Bolivia, where Hoy also attempted to break the record. Only 3 sub-60sec kilos have ever been ridden, Hoy recorded two of these over two days in La Paz.^[8]

Hoy's main achievement is his development in the individual sprint event considered to be the blue riband event of track cycling.^[9] Kilo riders like Hoy have historically not fared as well at this event, as they were less experienced in the tactical elements required for the sprint. Previously, Hoy had competed in the sprint at various World Cup events and Revolution meetings in Manchester, but it was not one of his main events and he did not compete in it at the World Championships or the Olympics. In the semi finals Hoy defeated Italian veteran Roberto Chiappa 2–0, to set up a meeting in the final against France's Kevin Sireau. Sireau was the World Cup Classics points winner for the season and had defeated Hoy 2–0 in their previous meeting only a few weeks earlier. However with the vocal Manchester crowd behind him Hoy was not to be denied victory and he completed the win 2–0, the first British man to win the sprint title in 52 years since Reg Harris.

2008 Olympics[link]

Hoy vs Bos in Manchester

Hoy started the year by winning the sprint and the Keirin and collecting team sprint silver in the World Championships held on home soil in Manchester.

Hoy became the first British Olympian for 100 years to claim three golds at one games at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. This came when he won the men's keirin, the men's team sprint and also the men's individual sprint.^[10]

The first gold came as a member of the three man team sprint squad which included Jason Kenny and Jamie Staff. Jason Kenny replaced Ross Edgar just before the games. They defeated the French by a clear margin, despite the French team's previous dominance of the event.

The keirin became Hoy 's second gold medal of the 2008 games, when he came home clear winner ahead of team mate Ross Edgar.

Hoy reached the final round of the individual sprint without a glitch, where his opponent turned out to be his young team mate, Jason Kenny. Kenny was a junior world champion who had achieved a number of high placings. Hoy used his greater experience to defeat Kenny, completing his hat trick of Olympic titles.

2008/09 track season[link]

Hoy did not race at the first major event of the 2008/09 season, the World Cup Classics Event in Manchester on 31 October – 2 November. He instead made an appearance to sign autographs and commentate with the BBC. He made his return to racing in the UK at the sold out Revolution 22 event in Manchester in December. He received a standing ovation from the Manchester faithful at the start of the event when he was introduced to the crowd.^[11] At this event Hoy won both the Sprint and Keirin competitions, defeating likes of Jason Kenny, Jamie Staff, Ross Edgar, Matthew Crampton and Teun Mulder along the way. Hoy competed in the World Cup Classics series' final event in Copenhagen, Denmark in February, helping his team to a gold medal in the team sprint event. However, he crashed out during the men's Keirin final and was forced to miss the final day of competition, including the men's sprint. Although at first, his injury seemed minor, he returned to Manchester where, following a scan, he was diagnosed with a serious de-gloving injury which finished his season and kept him off his bike for almost 3 months.^[12] He was unable to compete as planned at the Revolution 24 event in Manchester the following weekend, he did however make an appearance at the event. He has had to pull out of the World Championships in Poland at the end of March, where he would have attempted to win 2 World titles, because of the hip injury.^[13]

2009/10 track season[link]

Hoy started the 09/10 track season at the National Cycling Centre, Manchester at the British National Championships where he took only his second (and third) ever individual national titles. He took gold medals in the Keirin, Sprint and was part of the Team Sprint Team representing team SKY along with Jamie Staff and Jason Kenny. Two weeks later, he raced in round one of the UCI World Cup at the same venue and took gold in the Mens Keirin. He then went into day 2 of the competition and took gold in the sprint event, beating fellow Brit Matthew Crampton in the final 2–0. A third World Cup gold came in the Team Sprint on the Sunday. Having ridden and won 12 events over the weekend, he withdrew from the International Japanese Keirin which was consequently won by team mate Matt Crampton. At the 2010 UCI World Championships, Hoy was beaten in the quarter final of the men's sprint event by his German opponent, Robert Forstermann, who won after making an attack from the start line. He was part of the GB men's team sprint that took the bronze. In the Keirin event, Hoy won the gold medal, despite crashing in the heats, to take his tenth world title^[14]

2010/11 track season[link]

Hoy lost in the first round of the men's sprint at the European Championships to Ireland's Felix English. At the Manchester World Cup event in February 2011, Hoy lost in the semi-finals to Jason Kenny ^[15]. Hoy took the match sprint title at the British National Championships in October 2011 ^[16]

2011/12 track season[link]

At the 2012 World Cup event held in the new London Velodrome, Hoy won three medals. He won gold in the keirin and bronze in the team sprint, before winning gold in the Men's Sprint, losing just one race in four rounds. ^[17]

Honours[link]

Hoy was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to cycling in the 2005 New Year Honours.^[18]

On 26 November 2008, Hoy was named as Sportsman of the Year by the Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain, winning a ballot of its membership ahead of Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton and Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie.

On 14 December 2008, Hoy was also named as BBC Sports Personality of the Year. He finished ahead of Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton and Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington. Hoy became the second cyclist ever to win the award after Tommy Simpson in 1965.^[19]

Hoy was created a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year Honours List 2009.^[20]

In June 2009, Hoy was inducted to the University of Edinburgh's Sports Hall of Fame.^[21]

Train operating company SouthEastern named a high-speed Class 395 train after him.

The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, is named in his honour.

Honorary degrees[link]

• 2005 — Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Edinburgh
• 2009 — Honorary Doctor of Science, University of St Andrews^[22]

2012 Olympics[link]

Hoy is an ambassador for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the Scottish National Velodrome being built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is to be named in his honour.^[10]

Personal life[link]

Hoy moved out of his childhood home in 2000 into a flat close to his parents. Hoy is married to Sarra Kemp, a lawyer from Edinburgh,^[23] they got engaged on 11 April 2009. They were married on 17 April 2010 at St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh. Hoy wore a grey kilt with a sporran, while his wife wore a white dress and veil. Swimmer Rebecca Adlington, double Olympic gold medallist was one of the guests.^[24] They now live in Salford, Greater Manchester, close to the National Cycling Centre's velodrome.^[25] He supports his hometown football team Heart of Midlothian.

Bibliography[link]

Hoy is the subject of a book by Richard Moore, Heroes, Villains and Velodromes: Chris Hoy and Britain's Track Cycling Revolution, published in June 2008 by Harper Collins. (ISBN 9780007265312)

Hoy's autobiography, Chris Hoy: the Autobiography, was published by Harper Collins in October 2009. (ISBN 9780007311316)

Medal history[link]

See also[link]

• Scotland at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
• Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chris Hoy

• Official website
• Chris Hoy Rider Profile – Cycling Weekly
• "Chris Hoy – Olympic Record". British Olympic Association. http://www.olympics.org.uk/athleterecord.aspx?at=1708. 
• Template:Http://www.gwc.org.uk/cms/our-school/our-former-pupils/
• Larry Hickmott (22 March 2007). "Pre-World Championship Interview: Chris Hoy". British Cycling. http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/gbr/News2007/20070322_Chris_Hoy.asp. 
• Larry Hickmott (7 February 2007). "Chris Hoy Fighting to Hang onto Olympic Gold". British Cycling. http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/gbr/News2008/20080207_Chris_Hoy.asp. 
• Donald McRae (25 March 2008). "'I just rode round in disbelief for a few seconds'". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/mar/25/cycling.comment. 

Sir Matthew Pinsent

Personal information
Birth name	Matthew Clive Pinsent
Nationality	British
Born	(1970-10-10) 10 October 1970 (age 41) Holt, Norfolk, England
Height	6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) (2004)
Weight	17 stone (110 kg) (2004)
Website	www.matthewpinsent.com
Sport
Country	United Kingdom
Sport	Men's rowing
Event(s)	Coxless pair, coxless four
College team	Oxford University Boat Club
Club	Leander Club
Coached by	Jürgen Gröbler
Retired	2004
Medal record Competitor for  Great Britain Men's rowing Olympic Games Gold 1992 Barcelona Coxless Pair Gold 1996 Atlanta Coxless Pair Gold 2000 Sydney Coxless Four Gold 2004 Athens Coxless Four Rowing World Championships Bronze 1989 Bled Coxed Four Bronze 1990 Tasmania Coxless Pair Gold 1991 Vienna Coxless Pair Gold 1993 Račice Coxless Pair Gold 1994 Indianapolis Coxless Pair Gold 1995 Tampere Coxless Pair Gold 1997 Aiguebelette Coxless Four Gold 1998 Cologne Coxless Four Gold 1999 St. Catharines Coxless Four Gold 2001 Lucerne Coxless Pair Gold 2001 Lucerne Coxed Pair Gold 2002 Seville Coxless Pair

Sir Matthew Clive Pinsent CBE (born 10 October 1970) is an English rower and broadcaster. During his rowing career, he won 10 world championship gold medals and four consecutive Olympic gold medals, of which three were with Steve Redgrave. Since retiring, he has worked as a sports broadcaster with the BBC.

Background[link]

Pinsent was born in Holt, Norfolk, the son of Reverend Ewen Macpherson Pinsent, curate of St Andrew's parish church. His grandfather Clive Pinsent was a younger son of Sir Richard Pinsent, 1st Baronet, President of the Law Society between 1918 and 1919 (see Pinsent Baronets).^[1] Pinsent is directly descended from John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk and thus from Edward I of England and William the Conqueror. Sir George Anson is also an ancestor.^[2] He attended Aysgarth School in North Yorkshire before he began rowing at Eton College. He began his international career at the Junior World Rowing Championships in 1987. He raced again in 1988, winning the junior coxless pairs with Tim Foster. After finishing school, Pinsent studied Geography at St Catherine's College, Oxford. He competed in three Boat Races, winning in 1990 and 1991 but unsuccessful in 1993 (when he was Boat Club President), having taken a year out in 1992 in order to concentrate on preparing for the Barcelona Olympics.

Rowing[link]

International career[link]

In 1990, while still at Oxford, he joined Steve Redgrave in the coxless pair at the World Rowing Championships – winning bronze. This was the beginning of a long partnership, and the pair won at the World Championships in 1991, and at the Olympic Games in 1992 and 1996.

In 2000 he won Olympic gold again as part of a coxless four with Redgrave, James Cracknell and Tim Foster. 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 the coxless four team in the years leading up to the Olympics, including video diaries recording the highs and lows in the quest for what would be Pinsent's third consecutive gold.

Pinsent and Cracknell then formed a men's coxless pair and won the coxless and coxed pairs (with Neil Chugani coxing) in the 2001 World Championships, and the coxless pair in 2002. However, after a disappointing 2003 season that saw Pinsent's first World Championships defeat since 1990, he and Cracknell moved to the men's coxless four for 2004.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Pinsent's fourth Olympic Games, Pinsent stroked the boat, with Cracknell, Ed Coode and Steve Williams. In a close race with world champions Canada, they again won gold.

Pinsent was elected to the International Olympic Committee's Athletics Commission in 2001, replacing Jan Železný. In 2004, at the Athens Olympics, Pinsent failed to secure re-election to the post, being replaced by Železný.^[3]

The 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m), 17 stone (110 kg)^[4] Pinsent had at one time the largest lung capacity recorded for a sportsman at 8.5 litres. This has since been surpassed by fellow rower Peter Reed who has been measured at 11.68 litres.^[5]

Retirement[link]

Pinsent announced his retirement from rowing on 30 November 2004,^[6] and was made a Knight Bachelor in the New Year's Honours list announced on 31 December 2004.^[7] He had already been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1993,^[8] raised to Commander in 2001.^[9] He was awarded the Thomas Keller Medal by the International Rowing Federation in 2005.^[10]

Achievements[link]

Olympic Games[link]

• 2004 – Gold, Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Steve Williams, Ed Coode)
• 2000 – Gold, Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Tim Foster, Steve Redgrave)
• 1996 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)
• 1992 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)

World Championships[link]

• 2003 – 4th, Coxless Pair (with James Cracknell)
• 2002 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with James Cracknell)
• 2001 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with James Cracknell)
• 2001 – Gold, Coxed Pair (with James Cracknell, Neil Chugani)
• 1999 – Gold, Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Ed Coode, Steve Redgrave)
• 1998 – Gold, Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Tim Foster, Steve Redgrave)
• 1997 – Gold, Coxless Four (with James Cracknell, Tim Foster, Steve Redgrave)
• 1995 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)
• 1994 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)
• 1993 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)
• 1991 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)
• 1990 – Bronze, Coxless Pair (with Steve Redgrave)
• 1989 – Bronze, Coxed Four (with Terry Dillon, Steve Turner, Gavin Stewart, Vaughn Thomas)

Junior World Championships[link]

• 1988 – Gold, Coxless Pair (with Tim Foster)
• 1987 – 4th, Eight

Broadcasting career[link]

Since retiring from rowing, Pinsent has worked for the BBC as a sports bulletin presenter and reporter. His assignments have included interviewing Dwain Chambers for Inside Sport, where Chambers confessed to taking drugs,^[11][12] and visiting gymnastics training centre in China where he found evidence of children being beaten, leading to IOC President Jacques Rogge to order an inquiry.^[13]

Personal life[link]

Pinsent is married to Demetra; they have twin boys, Jonah and Lucas (born 2006) and a daughter, Eve (born 2008).^{[citation needed]} They live in St Peter's Square, Hammersmith, West London.

Styles and honours[link]

• Mr Matthew Pinsent (1970–1993)
• Mr Matthew Pinsent MBE (1993–2000)
• Mr Matthew Pinsent CBE (2000–2004)
• Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE (2004–)

Bibliography[link]

• Pinsent, Matthew (2 September 2004). A Lifetime in a Race. Ebury Press. ISBN 978-0-09-190149-3. 

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Matthew Pinsent

• Official website
• Matthew Pinsent at RowingOne

John Eales AM (born 27 June 1970) is an Australian former rugby union player and the most successful captain in the history of Australian rugby.

Early life[link]

He attended Marist College, Ashgrove. In his youth, Eales was also a very talented cricket all-rounder, and played first grade cricket for Queensland University in the Brisbane QCA cricket competition. Eales completed a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in psychology from the University of Queensland in 1991^[1][2] prior to taking to the international rugby stage.

Rugby career[link]

Eales played lock for Queensland Reds and Australia. He was given the nickname "Nobody" because "nobody's perfect".^{[citation needed]}

Eales' 55-cap reign as captain marked an era of Australian success in world rugby. Eales played a major part in Australia’s victories at the Rugby World Cup twice in his illustrious career, first in 1991, and later skippering his country to victory in 1999.

Statistics[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2009)

John Eales scored 173 points for Australia - 2 tries (one valued at 4, one at 5), 34 penalties & 31 conversions - a total which places him 8th on the all-time scoring list for Australia. He is the highest scoring forward in test rugby history and only one of four forwards to have surpassed 100 points in test rugby (the others being Carlo Checchinato, Colin Charvis and Richie McCaw). This is largely because of his goal kicking, which is unusual for a forward; his two tries are unremarkable (in comparison, all of Checcinato's, Charvis's and McCaw's points have come from tries). His memorable kicks include a sideline penalty goal in the final minutes of a 2000 test to win the Bledisloe Cup against New Zealand.

Eales captained Australia a record 55 times. Only Brian O'Driscoll, John Smit, Will Carling and George Gregan have been an international captain in more games than Eales. Eales' 86 caps make him the third most capped forward in Australia’s test rugby history, being recently surpassed by George Smith and Nathan Sharpe, and joint 7th on the overall list (level with Joe Roff, with George Smith, David Campese, Stephen Larkham, Nathan Sharpe, Matt Giteau and George Gregan ahead of him).

Eales is one of only 21 players to have represented the Queensland Reds in 100 or more state games. He represented his state in 112 games.

Eales scored a total of 402 points in the Super 12 competition with 6 tries, 66 conversions and 80 penalties for the Queensland Reds. No forward has scored more points than him in the competition's history.

He is one of a select group to have won the Rugby World Cup twice. The others are fellow Wallabies Dan Crowley, Jason Little, Phil Kearns and Tim Horan, plus South Africa's Os du Randt.

He retired as the most-capped lock of all time, with 84 test appearances in that position (his other two tests were as a number eight). Eales has since been surpassed in caps as a lock by several players.

Post rugby career[link]

Business[link]

Eales was a founder of the Mettle Group (a culture and leadership consultancy, which is now part of Chandler Macleod), and his personal company the JohnEales5 (now part of International Quarterback, a sports marketing and events company).^[3] He is also a director of GRM International, a director of SAHOF (The Sport Australia Hall of Fame) and an Australian Financial Review columnist. He is also engaged as a consultant for BT Financial Group and Qantas.^[1][2]

John is also an Ambassador of Bonville Golf Resort and a guest lecturer at the University of Notre Dame. He is also a director on the board of the Australian Rugby Union.

John has fulfilled the role as an a Athlete Liaison Office for the Australian Olympic Committee in the Athens and Beijing Olympics, and will also be involved in the upcoming London Olympics.

John Eales is also an Ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.

Media[link]

Eales acted as a "rugby ambassador" at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, which involved a number of media duties.^[4]

Author[link]

Eales has written 2 books, 'Learning From Legends', a Sport and a Business version. LFL Sports has a foreword by former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and talks about different legends of Australian Sport including Peter Brock and Grant Hackett. LFL Business talks about different legends within the business world and the lessons that can be learned from them.

Honours[link]

• Eales was named the 2002 Queenslander of the Year.
• Eales has given his name to the John Eales Medal, annually awarded to the best Australian rugby union player.
• In 1999 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to the community and rugby.^[1]
• 30 August 2000 Australian Sports Medal awarded for his contribution to Australian Rugby
• In 2001, he was inducted into the Australian Institute of Sport 'Best of the Best' ^[5] .

References[link]

John Eales: The Biography by Peter Fitzsimons (2001)