Sir Steve Redgrave for Karapiro

The world’s greatest rower, five time Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave, will be at Lake Karapiro for the 2010 World Rowing Championships.

But he won’t be racing. The legendary oarsman, who retired after winning his fifth successive Olympic gold in Sydney, will be part of the BBC television commentary team covering the Championships.

The BBC team will also include Garry Herbert, cox of the 1992 Great Britain gold medal winning coxed pair, and former Oxford coach and journalist Dan Topolski.

It will be Sir Steve’s first trip to New Zealand and he’s eagerly looking forward to it. “New Zealand has always been a world power within the sport of rowing,” he says. “One of my regrets is that I never rowed in New Zealand so I am looking forward to coming to the famous Lake Karapiro to see New Zealand rowing at its best."

Sir Steve won gold in five successive Olympic Games. His first gold medal came in the coxed four at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. In Seoul four years later, he won gold in the coxless pair and bronze in the coxed pair. Two more coxless pair gold medals followed in the 1992 Barcelona Games and the 1996 Atlanta Games. At the 2000 Games in Sydney, Sir Steve won his fifth gold in the coxless four and later announced his retirement.

BBC TV is planning to broadcast live coverage of the Olympic class finals on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the BBC digital interactive service and the web, with BBC network highlights, presented by John Inverdale, on the Saturday and Sunday afternoons UK time.

ENDS