Eskild Ebbesen, a wiry Dane with the penetrating stare of a Viking, is the greatest lightweight rower alive. He and his crew dominated lightweight rowing in the late 1990s, winning three consecutive World Cups, and although there was a hiccup in the Sydney Olympics of 2000, where they won bronze, they extended their authority over the next 10 years. They won gold in Athens and followed it up four years later with gold in Beijing.Their story is remarkable for its fusion of consistency, longevity and a peerless ability to peak at the right time. Ebbesen’s is a household name in Denmark, rare for a rower. He became so much of a national hero that he appeared more than once in Denmark’s equivalent of Strictly Come Dancing. He is, to coin a phrase from South African rower James Thompson, ‘bigger than Richie McCaw’.Get full written episodes of the show a day early on Substack.Check out The Luke Alfred Show on: Facebook YouTube