Rowing will miss you James

Cracknell after winning his second Olympic gold

We got to see him dressed in the best of Italian fashion. We got to hear about it when he married glamorous TV presenter Beverley Turner and we knew when baby Croyde was born. We got to see his 15 year rowing career unfold. When Great Britain’s James Cracknell did something, we knew.

So when Cracknell announced his retirement, we knew.

It took 12 hours a day of rowing for 49 days to help clinch Cracknell’s decision which came on the back of his return from the 3,000 mile Atlantic Rowing Race.

“When I was out there (on the Atlantic Ocean) I realised that I am intensely competitive, but I felt if I was going to go back to rowing it was because I really wanted to compete at something rather than because I really wanted to row again. So I realised I should probably find something else to compete at,? Cracknell told the Daily Telegraph.

We know Cracknell most as one of the best rowers in the world. The young Cracknell came into the international rowing fold as a junior in 1989 and worked his way through British rowing ranks and into the elite group which included Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent. This was the start of his medal winning spree which netted him World Championship gold in 1997, 1998 and 1999, then gold at the 2000 Olympics in the men’s four.

Good looks and winning ways placed Cracknell firmly in the public eye and he went on to be presented with an MBE (Member of the British Empire) by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth as well as picking up two awards as FISA crew of the year.

After Redgrave’s retirement Cracknell moved into the pair with Pinsent and had instant success winning both the pair and coxed pair at the 2001 World Rowing Championships. A year later they set the world best time in the pair. The record still stands today.

Capping off his career at Athens 2004 with a second Olympic gold, Cracknell considered his rowing future and decided to take a year away from the sport. Meanwhile partner Pinsent announced his retirement after Athens and on retirement gave Cracknell one of the biggest compliments that a rower can express, ??in many ways he (Cracknell) is the best athlete I have ever shared a boat with,? said Pinsent. 

Cracknell sat on the fence in deciding whether to continue with rowing. In that time he did everything but stay idle. Preparing for the London Marathon and paddling across the English Channel was just a small taste of Cracknell’s post-Athens sporting adventures.

But he was to top all previous sporting endeavours by signing up for the Atlantic Rowing Race which started in November 2005.

In a celebrity double with British television presenter, and non-rower, Ben Fogle, Cracknell finished first in the pairs event and finished third overall. Cracknell and Fogle’s race will screen in an upcoming BBC documentary, ?Through hell and high water.?

One thing is for sure, whatever Cracknell does we will get to hear about it.

Related Cracknell stories
Ocean rowing success for Cracknell
FISA’s crew of the year
Pair in doubt for Cracknell
Top 10 in 2004

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