BBC Sport Online: Olympics2000: Rowing and Water Sports

Britain salutes rowing hero

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Tributes have begun pouring in from all corners of British life after Steve Redgrave claimed his fifth successive gold medal with victory in the coxless fours in Sydney.

BBC Sport Online's readers were quick to express their admiration for the rowing hero's latest feat - with many demanding that Redgrave be knighted.

One of the most interesting contributions came from Tony Siddall.

"I am absolutely delighted that Steve Redgrave has achieved this historic accomplishment," said Siddall.

"Eighty years later, his record of the largest number of gold medals won by a British sportsman, has finally been broken.

Great news

"We have waited a long time for such great news for British sport."

Another to offer his congratulations was Prime Minister Tony Blair, who praised Redgrave for "one of the most fantastic sporting achievements of all time".

Conservative leader William Hague echoed the PM's remarks, saying: "Steve Redgrave's Olympic gold is a tremendous achievement.

"It is a fantastic tribute to his commitment to his sport and I send him and the other members of the coxless four team my warmest congratulations."

The sporting world's most famous politician, International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch, was also highly impressed by Redgrave's display.

Highlight

Asked what his favourite moment of the Games had been, Samaranch said: "My highlight was this morning (Saturday) when the British rower (Steve Redgrave) won his fifth gold medal in five different Olympic Games.

"I was there to congratulate him because he is an athlete who is really in the golden book of the history of the Olympic Games."

Ivor Lloyd, captain of the club in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, said that the sportsman had not been properly rewarded for his triumphs for the nation.

History

"He's made history. He has been denied accolades like sporting personality of the year," said Lloyd.

"He has not been acknowledged for what he's done to date. It's taken him to push back the historic boundaries to gain recognition.

"This type of acknowledgment has been handed out to other supreme athletes from every sport.

"Steve is, as you know, very quiet and introverted. But he does enjoy being acknowledged even though he is not overly demonstrative about how impressed he is by it."

"I didn't support his decision to carry on in 1996 - I didn't think he could go through it for another four years - but he made it.

"He had a very tough year but he came through. It is remarkable."