Four-time Olympic medallist Katherine Grainger accepts nothing will ever beat London 2012 but that does not mean she is thinking about retirement just yet.
The 37-year-old is Britain’s most successful female rower after last year adding gold to the silver medals she collected in Sydney, Athens and Beijing.
Grainger is the first female British athlete in any sport to gain medals in four consecutive Olympics and that record could yet be extended further.
The Glasgow-born rower will be 40 when the 2016 Rio Games begin but she could be tempted to compete even if London 2012 would be impossible to surpass.
“I think everyone that was successful in London is having to face the fact that it won’t probably get better than that,” Grainger said.
“We’ll never see those crowds, certainly not the British crowds, at that level. You can say that is the high point but there could still be more in other ways.
“You always set yourself new challenges and for anyone going on to Rio it is going to be an incredible Olympic Games. All of them are they are all special.
“The home Olympics will always be the ultimate one but it’s not like it all stops in 2012.”
Grainger is keeping her options open over Rio and plans to make a decision once she has completed her PhD in criminal law.
“It is certainly a possibility,” she said. “I have not made an official decision whether to retire and leave it there or sign up for Rio for another three years.
“It is a wonderful situation to be in, that they are the choices.
“Or if I still have the same hunger, passion, drive and don’t feel I am finished with the sport, then the Rio Olympics is not a bad option either.”