Andy Holmes, former Olympic champion who won gold medals with Steve Redgrave at the 1984 and 1988 Games, died at age 51 Sunday, British Rowing announced yesterday.
Steve Redgrave today paid tribute to double Olympic gold-winning rower Andy Holmes, describing him as "a fantastic athlete and a brilliant guy."
Holmes, whose death at the age of 51 was announced last night, and Redgrave were part of the coxed four team that won gold in Los Angeles in 1984, before teaming up for victory in the coxless pairs in Seoul.
"It's a very sad day," Redgrave said.
"It hits you very hard that somebody you rowed with is no longer with us.
"I rowed with him for five years and we were hugely successful.
"The latest British success in rowing has come from the 1980s era. It really put Britain on the rowing map and Andy was at the forefront of that.
"He was a quiet guy, a loner. He had a French degree and on training camps and regattas he would sit and just read books in French and just kept himself to himself.
"Most people watch other sports but Andy wasn't like that. He was in his own little world but he was a fantastic athlete and a brilliant guy."
The gold-winning performance in Los Angeles is generally seen as the moment that sparked the success in British rowing of which Redgrave was at the forefront.
