Olympic coxless fours gold medallist Ed Coode will not compete next year and is likely to retire from the sport. Coode, Matthew Pinsent, James Cracknell and Steve Williams clinched a thrilling gold at the Athens Olympics and now Coode says the time is right to stop.
"I'm not going to be rowing again, definitely not for the next year and probably not again," Coode told the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
"The hunger and motivation I had has been satisfied by winning in Athens."
Coode came into the coxless fours as a late replacement for Alex Partridge, who suffered a collapsed lung in July.
But he is the first of the quartet to make a decision about his future.
Pinsent, who took his gold tally to four in Athens, has said he will take plenty of time before deciding whether to try and match Sir Steve Redgrave's five titles. Cracknell is also considering his future, leaving Williams as the only member of the crew definitely targeting the 2008 Beijing Games.
"If Matthew, James and Steve came to my door and begged me to row with them, I'd still turn them down," Coode added.
"Winning the gold medal is a natural way to call closure on it all."
The 29-year-old now intends to spend the next year travelling, taking part in public engagements before studying for a law degree.
MMIX
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