Celebrated Olympian Sir Steve Redgrave has stepped down as president of Marlow Rowing Club after 12 years.

The 62-year-old five-time gold medal winner took up the title back in 2011 and helped the club recover from a destructive fire in the same year which damaged 60 boats among other equipment and memorabilia.

John Kirtland, 63, who has rowed for the club for more than a quarter of a century, said the decision to step down was a sad one but that it had simply been “time for a change”.

Adding: “Steve was such a great president and figure – but he has lots of other commitments and he’s focusing now on more national rowing programmes.

“It’s a funny one – you might think, where can you go from having the most gold medalled Olympian in history as president, but we’re taking the opportunity to bring in someone with a different background and expertise.”

Redgrave will be replaced by Cath Bishop, a former Olympic rower who was named world champion in 2003 and won a silver medal at the 2004 games in Athens.

Her post-sporting career has included work as a diplomat and political secretary for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and a stint helping to implement the peace agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the Office of the High Representative, based in Sarajevo.