British rowing coach Jurgen Grobler paid tribute to Matthew Pinsent after the four-time Olympic champion retired from the sport on Tuesday. "I understand and respect Matthew's decision," said the German. "It was a big decision for him and British sport. He is a hero in our sport worldwide.
"But lots of top athletes come and go, it's normal life.
"For a long, long time he was the most outstanding athlete I've known, along with Steve Redgrave."
Grobler, who was appointed the British men's team coach after the 1992 Olympics, insisted Pinsent had capitalised superbly on his physical attributes.
"In rowing you have to have a size of body, talent, and have a strong big heart and big lungs," said Henley-based Grobler.
 |  Redgrave had raw power and Matthew had a huge physiological engine - the two together were unstoppable |
"That is something Matthew is very gifted with, but talent is not enough. Matthew wasn't born an Olympic champion. He had to work very hard for it, no question.
"But doing high-performance sport your heart has to be 100% in it. "
And Grobler insisted that Pinsent was the major factor in Great Britain's coxless four victory in Athens.
"He won that race, the way he stroked it right to the last stroke," said Grobler.
"I've been in the sport for 35 years, working with a lot of Olympic champions, and this was for me still something outstanding.
"It was a very difficult time physically and mentally, but mentally the pressure was huge."
British rower Alex Partridge, who was selected in Pinsent's boat for Athens but missed out when he was diagnosed with a punctured lung, added: "It's an incredible career.
"Steve Redgrave is the only other person who can match that.
"Both were incredible in their own different ways.
"Redgrave had a raw power that nobody else had and Matthew had this huge physiological engine - 8.5 litre lungs - and the two together were unstoppable."
Olympic gold medallist and BBC rowing commentator Garry Herbert insisted it was Pinsent's desire to take on a challenge which set him out from the rest.
"I've never met someone with such sheer determination and belief in their own ability," said Herbert, who won gold as cox with the Searle brothers in the Barcelona Games of 1992.
"He relished stepping up to a challenge, and putting himself through all that tension and unknown and coming out of it at the other end.
"His legacy will be that time and again he asked himself questions and time and again he came up trumps. That's a lesson for all of us."
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said Pinsent had a big role still to play in British sport.
Jowell said: "His contribution to sport in this country has been outstanding - providing inspiration and drama in equal measure and helping to raise public interest in rowing to new heights.
"I saw Matthew compete in Athens and can appreciate how much the sport demanded of him over four Olympic Games.
"His commitment, enthusiasm and leadership must not be lost to British sport and I hope he still has a big role to play, whatever he chooses to do."
MMIX
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