Twenty minutes after Britain’s first gold of the Games, there was bitter disappointment for Oxfordshire’s Fran Houghton and Debbie Flood in the quadruple sculls final.

Having heard the roars as Helen Glover and Heather Stanning stormed to victory in the women's pairs, the women’s quad, also featuring Mel Wilson and Beth Rodford, trailed home sixth and last.

They caught a crab early on and never really recovered, eventually finishing in 6mins 51.54secs – almost 16 secs behind winners Ukraine.

Houghton, from Wheatley, and Henley’s Flood won silvers in Beijing and Athens, but fell short of a hat-trick.

“That was not the way to finish an Olympic race,” said Flood, who revealed she would now retire.

“A crab was caught. We recovered really well from it, but we just never really got back on track.

“It is really disappointing. The four of us and our coach Ade Roberts have worked really hard all year to put us here.

“I am really proud of our crew and proud to be racing in front of such a fantastic crowd.

“We had a tough regatta, it was a tough heat and a tough race today.

“We clawed our way through to the final, but today wasn’t really our day.”

Flood had a break after the 2008 Games before returning to rowing, but confirmed it was now all over for her.

“For the other girls that carry on, this will give them motivation, but for me, that’s it,” she said.

Reflecting on the Games, Flood expressed her delight for Glover and Stanning and praised the home fans.

She said: “The support has been overwhelming. From being clapped in to the roar of the crowd, it has been an amazing experience.

“I wouldn’t give that back for anything.”