James Edward Cracknell, OBE (born 5 May 1972) is a British rowing and endurance athlete, double Olympic gold medalist and winner of six world championship titles.

[3] Moving into the senior squad, Cracknell made numerous appearances in the World Rowing Championships; however, he did not win any medals prior to the 1996 Summer Olympics.

With this crew, he won the World Rowing Championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999 (with Ed Coode replacing the injured Foster), and finally the gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

This followed the coxless four team in the years leading up to the Olympics, including video diaries recording the highs and lows in their quest for gold.

However, in 2003 a disappointing season was capped by a failure to win the World Championships, and Pinsent and Cracknell were shifted into the coxless four, with Steve Williams and Alex Partridge.

Ed Coode replaced the injured Partridge in time for the 2004 Summer Olympics and this crew won the gold medal in Athens, beating world champions Canada by 0.08s.

[5] On 4 March 2006, Cracknell's home was burgled: his Olympic gold medals were stolen, together with his wedding ring and a computer containing 20,000 words of a new book and family photographs.

In December 2008 he set off yet again with former teammate from the Atlantic Row, Ben Fogle, and Dr Ed Coats (the winner of a nationwide search),[8] this time to take part in the inaugural Amundsen Omega3 South Pole Race.

The team traversed the 473.6 miles suffering frostbite, infected blisters, dramatic weight-loss, pneumonia and exhaustion and came second[1] only to a pair of Norwegians (over 20 hours[9]).

[5] In July 2008 Cracknell competed in the European Triathlon Championships for GBR for his age group and in November 2009 he took part in the New York Marathon.

[10] In August 2009 Cracknell attempted to break the non-stop Land's End to John O'Groats mixed tandem world record along with Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Romero.

The comedian David Walliams joined him for the final part of his journey providing support from his previous experience of swimming the English Channel.

[25] On Saturday 3 October 2009, Cracknell and Ben Fogle started a 60-hour (estimated) journey from Edinburgh to London riding a rickshaw in support of SSAFA.

[30][31] In 2012 Cracknell and his then-wife wrote Touching Distance about his life before and after his brain injury, which has left him with epilepsy, a lost sense of smell and taste, and a changed, more volatile, personality.

[33][34] Having been a prominent supporter of the NOtoAV campaign in the 2011 United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum, in June 2013 Cracknell revealed his intention to stand in the European Parliament election of 2014.

"[35] In October 2013, Cracknell was announced as a Conservative Party candidate in South West England and Gibraltar, together with Ashley Fox, Julie Girling, Georgina Butler, Sophia Swire and Melissa Maynard.

[37] In May 2023, it was reported Cracknell was seeking to be the prospective parliamentary candidate for Henley at the 2024 general election, following the announcement of the retirement of John Howell.