British rower Steve Redgrave, who has switched to a new event — the coxless fours — will be attempting to win his fifth consecutive gold medal in Sydney next month.

Many experts feel that five gold medals at different Olympics is an unprecedented event. However, it has happened twice before and there even a competitor who has won gold at six different Olympic Games.

Aladár Gerevich was a member of the Hungarian team who won the Team Sabre competition at every Olympic Games from 1932 to 1960. He also won the Individual Sabre gold medal in 1948. Teammate Pál Kovács won five gold medals as part of the same team from 1936 onwards and he also won the Individual Sabre gold four years after Gerevich.

Both these competitors managed their incredible hauls of gold medals during a period where two Olympic Games were cancelled because of World War II.

The only other person to win golds at five separate Olympics is Reiner Klimke who was part of the victorious West German dressage team. He also managed the Individual Dressage title in 1984. P>Redgrave is one of eleven people who have won golds at four separate Olympic Games.

Source: SOCOG