Tell us what you think.

An unprecedented fifth straight title in an endurance event has secured Henley-based Steve Redgrave his status as Britain's finest ever rower and indeed Olympic 'achiever.'

But how does his fantastic record on the world's biggest stage measure up to that of Britain's other sporting greats?

Have any other British sportsman achieved more?

Does the late Lord Colin Cowdrey deserve to be held in higher esteem for his achievements in cricket?

Or what about one of the many successful football players Britain has produced?

As Lennox Lewis currently reigns supreme in boxing's heavyweight division is he the best British sportsman ever?

Or is there a more unsung hero of yours who you feel deserves the award?

Tell us what you think.

Who is the best British sportsman ever?

The only rowing I ever watch happens once every four years. But that is just the point. Redgrave's victory, in a sport I know nothing about, had me up at 2am on my feet punching the air with joy. That's the mark of a truly great person, never mind athlete.
Edward, UK

Some fifteen years ago I too held the opinion that rowing had no skill, only brute strength and fitness. Then I tried it. It is true that it is not possible to excel without strength and fitness. But the main winning advantage comes with combining this with technique and tactics. It's a game of small percentages, and everything matters. So recognise him as a great sportsman. As for the greatest? Well, the question is fatuous. There are too many conflicting yardsticks.
Mick, UK

Steve Redgrave has done an amazing thing for his sport, the numbers of people learning to row has massively increased. He certainly is our greatest sportsman ever.
Anne Harrison, UK

'Great' is to underestimate Steve Redgrave and his achievements.
Richard Colley, England

Redgrave is the best Olympic rower ever. But let's face it, rowing is a Mickey-mouse sport that requires little more than brute force and brawn.
Olly Clifford, Netherlands

Daley Thompson gets my vote, excelling at not just one, but ten disciplines. And, to my mind, 'greatest sportsman' includes more than just sporting prowess - Daley's character supports his claim as the greatest.
Pauline Keelan, USA

Be serious. He is fitter than Seb Coe (who was an amazing athlete in his own right), stronger than Lewis, and mentally tougher than anybody has ever been. How can you question his place as the greatest British, and I would even look at world, sportsman ever. To consider soccer or cricket, or even rugby, as being anywhere near as intense as rowing is ridiculous, and he has been the best for over two decades. Hands down, Steve Redgrave is the best sportsman that has ever graced this planet.
Zak, South Africa

Even though Steve deserves the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award, I cannot think of him as the greatest ever because he has not been an individual competitor but part of a team.
Norman Horobin, UK.

Alec Empire and Martin Milne are misguided if they believe that the minority status of rowing detracts in any way from Steve Redgrave's achievements in what is one of the most physically demanding of all sports. To perform at that the top level for 16 years is exceptional. Without properly reasearching the topic maybe these two armchair critics should shut up and pay their due respects to an extremely deserving recipient of the Sports Personality of the Year accolade.
Alastair Campbell, London

Redgrave competes in an elitist minority sport that is dominated by Oxbridge and public school old boys. His achievements can never compare with people who play in sports such as cricket and especially football. How can anyone argue that Redgave is as talented as the likes of Best, Law, Keegan or Dalglish?
Martin Milne, Britain

How many people are missing the point here? Rowing may be a minority sport, but it doesn't mean that a competitor puts in less effort. Steve Redgrave has shown time and time again that it's not about money, it's about striving to be the best. How many sportsmen or women stay at the top of their respective sport for so long, or in such a dominant fashion? I'd like to see some of the people who've entered comments put themselves through the schedule of training that Steve goes through. Such dedication and achievement rightly deserves the title of the greatest sportsman.
Richard Hardiman, UK

While Redgrave truly deserved his BBC Sports Personality of the Year award this year, I don't believe he is our greatest ever sportsman. This accolade goes to Carl Fogarty who won four World Superbike Titles. Carl wasn't even nominated last year so hope fully next year we will see a motorcyclist in the running.
Lee Bartram, England

I was watching Steve's race along with millions live in the early hours. The event captured the imagination of millions around the globe. It brought people of all cultures and creeds together for a moment to cherish. Steve's triumph will always live in our memory. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Steve's speech after receiving his award. What a gentleman and hero to all. We have a lot to learn about dignity, dedication, motivation, and the will to win. Steve taught us this with his quest for gold in Sydney 2000. If you believe you can do it, then go for it.
Parvez, England

Redgrave is indeed a great sportsman and the best rowing probably has ever had. However, to label him the 'greatest sportsman of all time' is perhaps wide of the mark. After all, rowing is a minority sport and most people's understanding of it is an hour of television every four years.
Alec Empire, UK

Steve Redgrave is the greatest sportsman of our time. His domination of his chosen sport has spanned a couple of decades. The strength, power, fitness, skill and teamwork that his sport needs surely demands all-round ability. His dedication has been awesome and his modest approach is commendable. The pride that I feel is incredible. Thank you Steve. Finally, I think his wife and family need a pat on the back too, because such dedication demands massive sacrifices. Well done.
Gareth, UK

Yes, Steven Redgrave should be regarded as the best British sportsman ever. He is certainly the most successful as well as an excellent role model.
Graham Kemp, England

I suppose it's only natural that we should be obsessed with finding 'the best' in as many categories as possible, but the truth is that any decision involving a category as wide and varied as 'sportsman' probably says more about the chooser than the chosen. All we can say is that Steve Redgrave is one very great British 'sportsman' in every sense of the term. More than this, what a tremendous role-model for us all, and especially the young.
Malcolm Maries, Saudi Arabia

Before Redgrave got his award he was a truly great sportsman, and I think after his speech he proved he was worthy of the award as he showed a truly great personality with his tribute to Matthew Pinsent. Let's remember he couldn't of won in Sydney without him.
David Smith, UK

Steve Redgrave's a true sportsman who competed for the honour and glory and not for financial rewards. He must rank along with the best ever such as Coe, Ovett, Pinsent, Edwards (Gareth and Jonathan) and many others who have achieved success that we mere mortals can only dream of. You have all inspired and thrilled us.
John, UK

My sports are tennis, football and athletics. I can't think of anyone from those sports who has achieved anything comparable to what Steve Redgrave has, so yes he is the best British sportsman ever.
Jim, UK

Redgrave is the best rower that Britain has ever produced, but you can't say that he's the best sportsman we have ever produced as there are too many sports to say this, all of which differ greatly in terms of what is required in terms of talent, both physically and mentally. However, it will be a long time before we have another athlete who achieves so much at Olympic level.
Chris Handley, Manchester, England

Steve Redgrave is undoubtably the fittest athlete. The dedication to the highest levels of fitness in a sport that only requires fitness, no skill, is quite admirable.
Stuart Gorse, Canada

To be honoured by your team-mates and countrymen is one thing. To be held in such esteem by the cream of other sports, and even to have the people of other countries rooting for you - that is extraordinary. Steve is certainly one of the greatest.
Steve Wall, UK

There could not be a better sportsman than Steve he has eclipsed all of all. The only other people who come close these days are the Paralympians.
Paddy Adler, UK

Steve Redgrave thoroughly deserves the accolade of being considered Britain's finest ever sportsman. To achieve the level of success he has is simply outstanding, and to capture the nation's hearts in a minority sport such as rowing is fantastic.
Sarah, UK

While Redgrave truly deserved his BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, people should keep his achievements in perspective. He may be our finest ever Olympian but he is not our best ever sportsman. There are plenty more worthy candidates for that title from the more traditionally British sports of football, cricket and rugby.
Dougal, UK

Only in Britain does one man have to be the best in the world and then have questions asked about if he's the best ever. If Lewis goes on and is the best Heavyweight for the next 20 years then yes he can be classed in the same category. Daley was a great sportsman and an ambassador for British sport but only gained two golds. Redgrave is undoubtedly the best sportsman ever.
Richard Thorogood, UK

Irrelevant of the sport, l look at the consistency. How do you stay motivated over a 20-year period and still achieve the highest honours? Mentally tough is an understatement. Rowing is not the greatest sport for the viewer. He gained five gold medals over twenty years�read it again, because you won't see it ever again from a British Sports person! He was wrong to publicly state his feelings regarding Sportsperson of the Year. However, I for one agree with his comments regarding and 18 year-old Michael Owen winning? What has he achieved compared Redgrave? Not even in the same locker room.
Ray, Ireland

Steve Redgrave is a truly great sportsman, but not the best in the world. No one can claim to be that. He is the greatest ever rower, as Pele will always be the greatest ever footballer. He has achieved great things in his chosen sport, even if it is a "minority" sport. Why don't we praise him for what he has achieved? God knows, England needs every success we can get at the moment. We aren't good at much.
Stewart, UK

In response to Olly Clifford saying that rowing is a mickey-mouse sport and requires only brute strength and brawn, I invite him to try the sport before criticising. Rowing is far more than brute strength, especially within coxless or coxed fours.
Dan, UK

In my lifetime, all 27 years of it, I think that Redgrave is the best sportsman I have seen. He's have lasted for 20 years at the top of an endurance sport. As for the comments about his nature and will to win. If only we all had that determination!
Robert, UK

Can there be any doubt? Five times an Olympic gold medallist in a sport as physically demanding as rowing. Think of other British sporting greats such as Jackie Stewart, Daley Thomson, Bobby Moore and Ian Botham. Do their records and achievements even compare to Redgrave's? The man would not only be a worthy winner of greatest British sportsman, but for his ability to stay at the top for 16 years, surely he'd be a strong candidate for greatest ever sportsman. Even greater than the greatest Muhammed Ali.
Barnaby Chesterman, Dubai

Redgrave is by a distance the best athlete produced by Britain over the last 15 years. Whether that makes him the best ever, I do not know, but he certainly has a strong claim to such a title.
Saunders Alan, Belgium

No, Steve Redgrave is not our greatest sportsman ever. Although a fantastic achievement, we should remember that he is competing in a minority sport which very few people enter or compete in. If it were a world wide, popular sport the standards and competition would be much higher. Whereas to excel at a sport like football is the ultimate because virtually everyone on the planet plays the game.
Ian Raisbeck, England

Some of the comments are quite interesting - others quite blinkered! Yes rowing appears to be a minority sport, but I'm sure it is accessible to the masses if we want to try it. However, I do not think Steve is the 'greatest sportsman ever' because I think it is impossible to compare rowing with other sports
Barrie Stevens, Wales

The phrase "minority sport" appears quite a few times in the comments about rowing and Steve Redgrave's achievement. This is an ill-informed comment. There are many thousands of rowers in the UK, with one of the biggest sporting events in the UK held in March on the river Thames with 550 crews of 8 rowers (and a cox!) taking their chances over the boat race course. Surely 5000 competitors in one event is not a minority?
Graham Day, England

How can you judge between the plethora of British sports stars over the years? Billy Meredith, Cliff Bastin, Stanley Matthews or George Best to name a few. All great in their sports and their era and Redgrave certainly fits in that company and amongst the very best.
Dave Atkinson, England

Those who decry his achievements because of the supposedly elitist nature of the sport overlook his own relatively humble origins and the fact that he is now inspiring thousands of young people from all kinds of schools and colleges to take up the sport. And to say that because it's a team sport he has achieved less than some overpaid footballer s laughable. Well done, Steve, I'll never forget that race!
Chris Hartley, UK

The last person who was even close to Steve's achievements was Jack Beresford who also rowed, back in the 1930's. In my opinion Redgrave is among one of the best sportsmen in world history. His achievement embodies the spirit and desire of the Olympics.
Paul, UK

Steve Redgrave certainly deserved the title. But to say he is the best British sportsman ever stretches the imagination. He is part of a team and relies on the other team members to also be in peak condition so the best British sportsman must surely go to an individual such as Fred Perry who did so much for tennis.
Barney, UK

Redgrave won Sportsperson of the Year not sportsperson of all time. There is no such prize and any suggestion that it should be created or even discussed is idiotic. Redgrave is a hero to many and his feat is very impressive.
Nikolai, UK

It's impossible to choose the greatest British sportsman of all time. With the endless variety of sports to choose from the comparison between sportsmen is impossible.
Andy, UK

After reading his autobiography, where he details his battle with diabetes. He is undoubtedly one of the most stubborn, dedicated and fit athletes of our time. I hope he is able to 'retire' in health and with finance!
Mark Bateman, UK