Supporting Champions

093: Redgrave and Pinsent on their Olympic partnership

Jul 28, 2021

01:26:03

Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent are as successful a sporting duo as you’ll ever meet. Steve has won 5 gold medals at 5 successive games and is a 9 time world champion, Matt has won 4 Olympic golds and 10 world championships.

They were successful before Britain became good at sport, winning before the UK Olympic system grew sophisticated. But not just the occasional win - sustained and dominant winning.

I had the privilege of working with Steve and Matt from 1998, supporting them, along with Tim Foster and James Cracknell to the Sydney Olympics. I can’t tell you how much influence they both had on me as a professional sports scientist and as a person. Their focus, standards, intensity, but also thinking, understanding and at times philosophy was so impressive you couldn’t help but learn from it.

You’ll hear that though in this conversation, which was surprising, fun and at times emotional.

Notes

Tokyo delays how would they have responded?

‘Just what we wanted’ & ‘Control the controllables’

A hairline crack in the rig puts a race in jeopardy

Are you feeling nervous yet? Changing the conversation

The step up from Barcelona to Atlanta the pressure changed hugely

Steve’s infamous quote and the pressure of build up

It wasn’t a long retirement!

The challenges that Steve felt in returning to rowing, both physically & mentally

The way in which Matt & Steve supported each other, the deep level of understanding

What are Matt & Steve’s reflections on pursuing a goal pushing and driving but doing it well?