I still get a tear in my eyes when I watch this, makes me so proud to be English. I'm not going to lie, I'm not a rowing fan by any means, but what makes this captivating for me is the sheer will and British grit. This eptitomises determination.
Ha! Great! This is one of those 'remember where you were when it happened' moments. I was living in New Zealand at the time (I'm British). Usually of a calm disposition this was the only time in my life I have been up out of my chair, jumping up and down, shouting at the telly!! I'll never forget it. Was the best sporting/telly moment ever! Bravo to all the crews. An amazing race.
Greatest Olympic athlete of all time. Most of my fellow Americans would say I'm blaspheming the name of Michael Phelps, but no. For Redgrave to keep at such a high level over the course of 20 years is astounding.
I was living in New Zealand at the time (a great rowing nation) and saw the race on the tv. I'm normally quite a calm collected fellow but this was the only time I have ever been up out of my seat screaming at the telly! It was a relief from the start to see GB dominate from the off. The last few strokes were pretty hairy though. Thanks for posting. I've got the Gold Fever programmes on DVD which I'll post if I get around to it.
Michael phelps is really good but Ian Thorpe was saying it is easier to win multiple medals in swimming than other sports do Steve Redgrave is still a legend
@Ifonly67 Nah... In good eight they're all equally powerful and technically well balanced. And stroke doesn't give only rhytm, he gives power on the each stroke as well.
I watched this live and I dont recall this commentary. I clearly remember one commentator shouting "The Italians are coming" right at the end. Maybe I just imagined that or perhaps it was broadcast on two channels
I remember watching this at 6am and I almost cried. is it just me or are the british the most patriotic nation in the world? i wonder how many americans, aussies cry when 1 of their countryman does something good?
USA akways do well at olympic games. At the 1996 Olympics Redgrave and Pinsent won the only Gold medal GBR got at those games. These Olympics were the start of a turnaround for GBR.
Let me give an insight as to possibly why...This version is I believe the FISA version. Why? Dan Topolski commentated on this with the BBC with Garry Herbert and the other guy commentated on this for Eurosport with another famous former British sculler. Therefore, they do this version after the moment ie they know who won! Great commentaries will always take place at the actual moment as their voice cannot hide their own excitement at what is happening before their very eyes.
If I could be half the man that redgrave is, and have achieved what he half of what he has done outside the olympics I would know I have led a good life
I hate when people are saying that the strongest men sit in the middle of the boat and technicians on the end of the boat. They're all equally powerful if they row together without steering problems ... and look at the Great Britain four... Redgrave and Foster, who are sitting in the middle of the boat are less powerful than the stroke Matthew Pinsent and bow James Cracknell ... so your theory proves nothing ...
That is correct, except Topolski was the 'expert' commentator in both versions. In the first, he's practically creaming himself with excitement, in the second when, as you point out, he already knows the result, he's practically, "yeah Redgrave wins" ignoring the Italians surging in the final metres. It's even worse with the eights. At 500m to go, he declares "Britain aren't going to be caught!" and the other commentator says, pointedly, "I wish I was as certain as you!"
I know most of you will disagree with me but for me the Olympic games is a showcase of excellence and I hate to pick an achievement over another. I believe that Steve Redgrave's fifth gold is certainly one of the greatest moments in Olympic history, but I hate to choose it as "the greatest" over the heroics of Chris Foy, the achievements of Michael Phelps, the wins of Jesse Owens in a highly segregated olympics, Usain Bolt making us dream in two Olympics, Daley Thompson and Mark Spitzer.
Wierd. Watched it on terrestrial but the commentary at the end was almost manic, kept shouting about the team catching Brits, was way more emotional. This was like "theyve won it" from a few hundreds yards out. Maybe I had the Radio 5 Live commentary on while watching the Beeb visuals...
