The British Olympic rowing champion Andy Holmes has died at the age of 51, the country's Olympics minister have confirmed today.
Holmes won gold in the coxed four at Los Angeles in 1984 and in the coxless pairs in Seoul in 1988.
He was joined in the boat by Olympic legend Steve Redgrave on both occasions.
The British Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson paid tribute to Holmes in parliament, telling lawmakers he had sadly passed away.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper said he died late Monday in a London hospital, having been taken ill with what is thought to be Weil's disease, a rare waterborne bacterial infection.
