BBC 2012 Radio 5 live presenters

Olympic medallist Steve Backley OBE will be a key part of Radio 5 live’s commentary team at London 2012.

Steve won Olympic bronze in Barcelona in 1992 before winning silver medals in Atlanta 1996 and Sydney in 2000 in the javelin and as a result is the only British athlete to have medalled at three consecutive Games. 

He also won three Commonwealth and four European Championship gold medals between 1990 and 2002.  Steve was part of the 5 live commentary team at the Beijing  Olympics in 2008. 

Darren Campbell

Double Olympic medallist Darren Campbell will be a key part of Radio 5 live’s athletics commentary team at London 2012

A talented junior athlete, Darren Campbell MBE won medals at the World and European Junior Championships.  Darren took a short break from athletics and enjoyed a spell in professional football playing at a number of clubs including Weymouth and Newport County.

After returning to athletics, Darren forged a spectacular career in athletics as a 100 and 200m specialist, winning Silver in the Sydney Olympics for 200m. Darren was also part of one of the most memorable and successful British 4 x100m relay teams ever, winning the European Cup in 1999 and 2000, Gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and then Gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics (the first time a British team had done so since 1912).

Since retiring from the sport in 2006 Darren has been involved in football and rugby coaching and has forged a media career. He was part of the 5 live commentary team from Beijing in 2008.

Nicky Campbell

Nicky Campbell will present 5 live Olympic breakfast (6-10am) with Rachel Burden from the Olympic Park throughout the Games. 

Nicky will be broadcasting at his fourth Olympics games having previously presented for 5 live from Sydney, Athens and Beijing. A familiar face and voice across national television and radio with over well over 20 years of broadcasting experience, Nicky has previously presented Watchdog, and currently hosts the Big Questions on BBC One and Long Lost Family on ITV.

Nicky has won seven SONY awards including one with Shelagh Fogarty for 5 lives Olympics breakfast programme from Beijing in 2008. Nicky has presented 5 live Breakfast since 2003.

James Cracknell

Double Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell OBE will be a key part of Radio 5 live’s rowing commentary team at the London 2012 Olympics.

James enjoyed a hugely successful rowing career in the coxless fours event and won Gold in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. James also won honours in the coxless pair event winning three Gold medals alongside Matthew Pinsent at the World Rowing Championships along side three Golds for the coxless fours between 1997 and 2002.

Following retirement from the sport James has involved himself on broadcasting and business interests notably undertaking various extreme challenges such as rowing across the Atlantic and travelling to the South Pole, both with Ben Fogle.

Katharine Merry

Olympic medallist Katharine Merry will be a key part of Radio 5 live’s athletics commentary team at London 2012

She enjoyed a 20-year career in athletics and started competing internationally aged just 13. Katharine was the fastest girl in the world at 14 and competed with the junior team for a record six years before winning a bronze medal in Sydney in the Olympics in 2000 in the 400m.

Since retiring from athletics in 2005 Katharine has forged a media career commenting on athletics across radio and tv. She is a key part of BBC Radio 5 live’s athletics commentary team including working in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics. Kath is also a regular voice on 5 live’s London Calling and has also appeared on Fighting Talk.

Colin Murray

Colin Murray will be a key part of Radio 5 live’s athletics broadcast team at London 2012 presenting daily on Radio 5 live from 2-6.30pm every day with Peter Allen.

His show Colin Murrays Gold Run in which Colin attempts to track down and interview every living British Gold Medal winner starts on Sunday May 20 at 11am on Radio 5 live carrying on every Sunday up to July 15.

Three-time SONY Gold award winner Colin Murray is a familiar voice on radio and face on TV. He hosts the Fighting talk on Saturday mornings and Kicking Off with Colin Murray on Friday nights on Radio 5 live during the football season.

Colin started in Radio in his native Northern Ireland before presenting on Radio 1 with Edith Bowman and his own evening music show on the station. He currently presents Match Of The Day 2 on BBC Two throughout the football season.

Karen Pickering

World European and Commonwealth medal winner Karen Pickering MBE will be a key part of Radio 5 live’s athletics commentary team at London 2012 concentrating on swimming.

Karen enjoyed a 19-year career in British swimming squad from 1986 to 2005 and has a collection that includes 8 World Championship medals (4 gold), 14 European Championship medals, 13 Commonwealth medals including 4 golds.

Karen was part of the 5 live commentary team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Mark Pougatch

A seasoned and respected broadcaster across radio and television over many years, Mark Pougatch will lead Radio 5 live’s broadcast team from London 2012. Mark will present daily between 6.30pm – 10.30pm reviewing the day’s events and presenting coverage at the tail end of the day.

Mark has presented some of the biggest shows in sports journalism and his CV includes Match Of The Day and Football Focus on BBC television. Mark has also broadcast from every major sporting event that the station covers including the Cricket, Rugby and Football World Cups and Commonwealth Games. He is presenting from London 2012 for Radio 5 live at his fourth summer Olympics.

On Radio 5 live he has broadcast right across the schedule in both sport and news roles including presenting 5 live breakfast, Drive, Test Match Special, on 5 live sport anchoring the flagship Saturday programme and he currently presents the iconic Sports Report.