Triple Olympic champion and naval lieutenant Pete Reed is hanging up his oars, twenty months after his last competitive victory in the men's eights at the Rio Games.

Although Reed planned to continue to Tokyo 2020, a dawning realisation that he would never be back to his best again precipitated a sudden decision nine days ago that his athletic career was over.

In late 2016 Reed, having re-started training, discovered that nagging hip trouble had become chronic, requiring urgent surgery in early 2017 to repair both hips.

He has recovered well but did notice that the outcome is reduced flexibility meaning he can no longer row a full-length stroke. But earlier this spring he was finally back in the boat, and preparing for a crucial 2km test erg two weeks ago.

"I got 5-54, and the only two people who weren't happy with that were me and Jürgen [Grobler]," said Reed. With a surfeit of bow-side oarsmen in the squad, the score put him in a race-off — and he came last, sending him to a single for the 14 April trials. Reed left on Saturday for his rest day, planning to talk sculling with Grobler on the Monday.