LONDON, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Four-time Olympic champion Matthew Pinsent officially retired from the British rowing team Tuesday.
Pinsent, 33, who has never lost an Olympic race, said at a London press conference, "I am so proud of what I and we have achieved over the last 15 years on the team."
He paid particular tribute to former teammate Steve Redgrave, who made Olympic history by winning his fifth successive gold at the Sydney 2000 Games.
"Steve Redgrave will always know how much I owe him," he said.
However he dismissed past speculations that Redgrave's achievement would spur him on to equal it.
"Chasing records is a bad reason for continuing," he said.
Pinsent said though nothing would ever make him feel like rowing did, this would still be true if he continued to the Beijing Games in 2008.
He spoke of his certainty that the British team would go on to further successes in the next four years.
"I will be cheering you on from the beer tent, a little drunk and perhaps a little jealous," he said.
