London: Steve Redgrave's hair may be thinner than when he first struck Olympic gold in 1984 but the British rower has lost none of his strength.

Redgrave hit a rich seam in Los Angeles when he was part of the winning coxed four one misty morning on Lake Casitas. Sixteen years and another three Olympic golds later, Redgrave has an equally good chance of winning in the coxless fours at Sydney.

The 38-year-old Briton has developed an air of invincibility which has set him above other rowers.If he wins a fifth consecutive gold, Redgrave, who has overcome injury, insulin-dependent diabetes and colitis, will row himself into the record books.

Such a medal run has never before been achieved in an endurance sport and in other events has been bettered only by Hungarian fencer Aladar Gerevich who won six successive golds in the sabre team from 1932.

Redgrave, already Britain's most successful Olympian, first took to the water as a schoolboy in his home town of Marlow on the River Thames in 1976. He left school at 16 to train full-time and rowing has dominated his life ever since.

As well as his four Olympic titles, Redgrave has won the world championships a record nine times.

His wife Ann, also a rower, is the British rowing team's doctor while Matthew Pinsent, who won two Olympic gold medals in the coxless pairs with Redgrave in 1992 and 1996 and who is a member of the Sydney coxless four, is a close friend.

Golfing partners

When not rowing, the two men -- both are 1.95 metres tall and weigh 105 kilos -- unwind with a round of golf at Redgrave's local club near Marlow, where he still lives.

Ten years ago, an injury to his pair partner brought Redgrave together with Pinsent, who was only 19 at the time, and the two have not looked back. They have enjoyed an unbroken run of 61 victories in the pairs.

Having left the pairs behind in favour of the fours, Redgrave is confident that he, Pinsent, James Cracknell and Tim Foster can triumph in Sydney, despite a shock defeat at the world championships in Lucerne, Switzerland, in July.