Biographies

Biographies of some of the BBC presenters and pundits at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Rebecca Adlington (Swimming)

• Two-time Olympic gold medallist, 2008
• Four-time Olympic medallist (two gold, two bronze)

Steve Backley (Athletics)

• Two-time Olympic javelin silver medallist, 1996 & 2000
• Also won Olympic bronze at Barcelona 1992 Games
• Former world record holder

Chris Boardman (Cycling)

• Olympic gold medallist, Barcelona 1992
• Four-time British Olympian
• Three-time Tour de France stage winner

Darren Campbell (Athletics)

• 2004 Olympic gold medallist, 4 x 100m relay
• 200m Olympic silver medallist, Sydney 2000

Mel Clewlow (Hockey)

• Two-time Olympian (2000 & 2008)
• Commonwealth Games silver medallist

Dr Stephanie Cook (Modern Pentathlon)

• 2000 Olympic gold medallist, modern pentathlon
• Former European and World champion

James Cracknell (Rowing)

• Two-time Olympic gold medallist, coxless fours (2000, 2004)
• Six-time world champion

Steve Cram (Athletics)

• 1984 Olympic silver medallist, 1500m
• World, European and Commonwealth gold medallist
• Broke world records in the 1500m, 2000m and Mile, in 1985
• A regular face of BBC Sport and winner of BBC Sports Personality Of The Year in 1983

Allison Curbishley (Athletics)

• Two-time British Olympian
• Commonwealth Games 400m silver medallist
• European bronze medallist
• Scottish record holder 400m

Sharron Davies (Swimming)

• 1980 Olympic silver medallist, 400m individual medley
• Competed at 1976 Olympics aged 13
• Three-time Olympian as a swimmer
• Has covered eight Olympics as a BBC presenter

Jonathan Edwards (Athletics)

• 2000 Olympic gold medallist, triple jump
• Triple jump world record holder (18.29m)
• Former Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European champion

Annie Emmerson (Triathlon)

• Former GB triathlete
• Former world number one duathlete (2005)

Brendan Foster (Athletics)

• Three-time British Olympian and world record holder
• Disciplines were 1500m, 5,000m and 10,000m
• Britain’s only medallist in Athletics in Montreal 1976
• Former European and Commonwealth Champion

Craig Heap (Gymnastics)

• Former GB Olympian and two-time Commonwealth gold medallist
• Competed in five World and five European Championships

Sir Chris Hoy (Cycling)

• Britain’s most successful Olympian with six golds
• The most successful Olympic cyclist of all time (six golds, one silver)
• World champion eleven times
• Will compete in the 2016 Le Mans 24-hour race

Colin Jackson (Athletics)

• 1988 Olympic silver medallist, 110m hurdles
• Ranked in world top ten hurdlers for 16 years and World Record holder for 13 Years
• Set seven European, eight Commonwealth and nine UK records

Michael Johnson (Athletics)

• Four-time Olympic gold medallist
• Current 400m world record holder
• Eight-time world champion

Anthony Joshua (Boxing)

• Current IBF heavyweight champion
• London 2012 gold medallist
• Fourth man to win a pro heavyweight world title while still a reigning Olympic champion

Denise Lewis (Athletics)

• 2000 Olympic gold medallist, heptathlon
• 1996 Olympic bronze medallist, heptathlon
• Two-time World Championship silver medallist

Simon Mason (Hockey)

• Former GB hockey goalkeeper
• Three-time Olympian

Steve Parry (Swimming)

• 2004 Olympic bronze medallist, 200m butterfly
• Two-time British Olympian

Victoria Pendleton (Cycling)

• Two-time Olympic gold medallist
• Individual sprint gold at Beijing, 2008 and keirin gold at London 2012
• Also won individual sprint silver at the London 2012 Olympics
• Nine-time world champion

Karen Pickering (Diving)

• Britain’s most successful female swimmer of all time winning 35 Major medals and 38 National titles
• Britain's first swimming world champion in 1993; the first of her four World Championship gold medals
• Competed in four consecutive Summer Olympics

Sir Matthew Pinsent (Reporter)

• Four-time Olympic gold medallist (1992-2004)
• Three Olympic golds secured in famous partnership with Sir Steve Redgrave
• Ten-time world champion

Paula Radcliffe (Athletics)

• Marathon world record holder, 2:15:25 hours
• Former marathon world champion, 2005
• Four-time Olympian
• Three-time London Marathon winner

Sir Steve Redgrave (Rowing)

• Five-time Olympic gold medallist
• Five golds came in five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000.
• Nine-time world champion

Helen Reeves (Canoeing)

• 2004 Olympic bronze medallist, K-1 slalom
• British slalom canoer who competed from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s

Ian Stark (Equestrian)

• Four-time Olympic silver medallist
• World and European Championship gold medallist
• Three-time Badminton winner

Christine Still (Gymnastics)

• One of Great Britain’s most successful gymnastics coaches
• Over 40 years of coaching experience
• Coached Amanda Kirkby, who later coached Beth Tweddle

Leon Taylor (Diving)

• 2004 Olympic silver medallist, 10m synchro
• Three-time Olympian
• Former mentor to Tom Daley

Michael Tucker (Equestrian)

• GB reserve at the 1976 Olympics
• Former British Eventing chairman
• Represented Great Britain at the European Championships

Beth Tweddle (Gymnastics)

• London 2012 bronze medallist
• Britain’s first female individual Olympic medallist
• Three-time world champion, six-time European champion and Commonwealth champion.
• Retired in 2013 as the most decorated British gymnast ever

Rob Vickerman (Rugby Sevens)

• Former England Sevens captain
• Led England to the Sevens World Cup final in 2013
• Former Yorkshire Carnegie and Newcastle Falcons player
• Retired in April 2015 because of a neck injury

Ian Walker (Sailing)

• Two-time Olympic silver medallist (1996 and 2000)
• Coached Shirley Robertson to gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics
• 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race winning skipper

Richie Woodhall (Boxing)

• 1988 Olympic bronze medallist, light middleweight
• 1990 Commonwealth gold medallist, light middleweight
• Former WBC Super Middleweight World Champion

Related BBC Links

• BBC Sport - Olympics > Rio 2016