Five-time Olympic rowing champion between 1984 and 2000, Sir Steve Redgrave not only commentated on his discipline at the last Games in London. He was both an ambassador, one of the last bearers of the flame, and an attentive observer of the British team and its preparation. FrancsJeux met him in Rio de Janeiro, during the 2013 Laureus Trophies. Interview.
FrancsJeux : The London Games were hailed almost everywhere as a total success. And what did you think of it?
Steve Redgrave: I agree with the general opinion. The Beijing Games were fantastic. The Chinese were able to take advantage of the event to send a formidable message. Everyone then wondered how we were going to get through this so as not to be compared. If we had sought to copy the 2008 Games, we might have been able to achieve, at best, the second most beautiful Games in history. But we understood that we had to chart our own course. On arrival, the public was there, the party was magnificent, the competitions were of a very high level. As a bonus, these Games brought immense pride to the British, as they probably spent at least two thirds of their television time watching their own athletes win medals.
For British sport, there will be a before and after London 2012?
Yes. But the lessons and images of the London Games will gradually fade, giving way to those of Rio 2016.
What has been the biggest impact of the London Games on elite sport in Britain?
I was very surprised by the success of our teams at the London Games. In Atlanta in 1996, Great Britain won just one gold medal. Until then, we often brought back five, a result which was then considered acceptable. We increased to eleven in 2000, then nine in 2004. In both cases, the consequence of a better organized sports policy, supported by greater financial resources allocated to the different disciplines. In Beijing, we were supposed to be still halfway through our London 2012-focused schedule, but we blew through the roof with 19 Olympic titles. At the time, I remember thinking that maybe we wouldn't do better at home. But we finally broke all records with 29 gold medals.
Today, would you say that British elite sport is doing better than ever?
Yes. The results of the London Games will not go unnoticed. Success breeds success. Certainly, subsidies have been reduced, but these budget cuts do not affect, or very little, the sports where we perform best, such as cycling, rowing or athletics. Subsidies granted to handball, for example, have been largely reduced or even eliminated. But what does it matter? We would never have been able to win an Olympic medal in handball…
In Rio in 2016, can the British team still ride the wave of the London Games?
I think so. The program put in place for the London Games will still have positive effects in 2016. We can perform as well as last year at home. I anticipate a collective result of 20 to 29 gold medals. But I am less optimistic for the future. In 2020, the fall could be quite brutal.
