Steve also won nine World Championship titles and three Commonwealth gold medals during his extraordinary career. He is regarded as the finest rower the world has ever seen,

His career achievements included: gold for the Coxed Fours in Los Angeles in 1984; gold with his previous partner Andy Holmes in the Coxless Pairs at Seoul in 1988; gold with partner Matthew Pinsent for the Coxless Pairs at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and the Atlanta Olympics in 1996; and a famous win in the Coxless Fours in Sydney.

In addition to his Olympic successes, and following four unbeaten seasons from 1993 to 1996, he won his ninth World Championship gold in August 1999. He was diagnosed with diabetes in 1997.

A committed worker for charity, in April 2006 Steve completed his third London Marathon raising a then record £1,800,000.

In April 2008, he took part in the Olympic Torch relay for the Summer Games in Beijing, and he went on to be one of the final torch-bearers for the 2012 London Olympics, carrying the torch into the stadium, where seven young athletes shared the task of lighting the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony.

He was knighted and became ‘Sir Steve Redgrave’ in 2001. He also won the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award that year in recognition of his fifth Olympic medal in Sydney. He was elected a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy in February 2011.