Steve Redgrave: the gold rush

Steve Redgrave a five-time Olympic champion in rowing¹ was born in Marlow, a small Thames-side town² in Great Britain. At school teacher selected him as a potential oarsmen³ because of his big hands and feet. He hoped that Steve would grow up to be big and powerful. That teacher was not far wrong.

After failing to establish himself among the elite as an international single sculler⁴, Redgrave switched to the coxed four⁵ and won gold at Los Angeles.

Four years later he won gold at Seoul in the coxless pair^6. Acknowledged as the world’s finest rower he proceeded to win further golds at Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney.

To achieve this, the great oarsman had to overcome a number of severe medical diseases. He became a walking medical dictionary. After the 1984 Los Angeles Games he suffered a serious back problem. Only weeks before Barcelona he was diagnosed with chronic colitis. He overcame that obstacle to win at Barcelona but late in 1997 he discovered he had diabetes. For a time his energy level dropped and he became depressed. Fortunately after more tests, more consultations and new medication his fitness returned. He decided to return to the water after Atlanta because he believed he could do it.

In the early part of 2000 preparing for Sydney the British coxed four won World Cup events in Munich and Vienna. Then at the final Lucerne World Cup they were beaten into the fourth place. Italy finished six seconds in front of them. The significance of that defeat only became evident at Sydney. “It’s not a disaster”, Redgrave said. “It has actually taken the pressure off us”.

Certainly if there is one man capable of turning gloom into glory it’s the phenomenal Redgrave. The British coxed four became the Olympic Champion at Sydney.

Notes:

¹ rowing – зд. академическая гребля

² the Thames-side town – городок на берегу Темзы

³ as a potential oarsman… - потенциальный гребец

⁴ as an international single sculler … - гребец международного класса в одиночке (в академической гребле)

⁵ the coxed four – парная четверка с рулевым

⁶ the coxless pair –двойка без рулевого

Matt Busby: the knighted coach

Sir Matt Busby was born in the Scottish village of Bellshill. He began in 1929 as a member of the Manchester City soccer team. Then he went to Liverpool and joined Scottish International. He was captaining them through the war years! In 1945 he became Manager of Manchester United, a position he was holding for twenty-five years until 1969 when he became General Manager. Sir Matt Busby was and remains one of the most respected and influential figures in soccer¹. The phenomenal success of the team brought both the club and the manager international fame. The story of his life in football was very interesting. There were ups and downs in his career. Then the tragedy came when eight of the players were killed in an air crash² in Munich. Sir Busby was rebuilding Manchester United through the sixties. In 1969 he achieved his greatest triumph when United became the first English club to win the European Cup.

For his services to the game he was awarded the C.B.E. ¹in 1958 and knighted in 1968. No one knew more than Matt Busby about the game to which he had devoted his life.

Notes:

¹ …one of the most respected and influential figures in soccer… -…одной из самых уважаемых и влиятельных фигур в футболе….

² in an air crash – в авиакатастрофе

³ C.B.E. – Commander of (the order of) British Empire – кавалер ордена Британской империи