Brittain, 26, has since struggled with a long-term back injury which resurfaced after London 2012.

"I've retired officially...for the sake of the team," he said in Pretoria today.  

"They can't train with me with a second option in mind.

"In sport you need to commit 100 per cent, so they have to commit without me and it is up to me to make my comeback if I can.

"For me it is very tough.

"It is life decisions, and your health comes first and it is hard to sacrifice that."

Brittain and his South African teammates James Thompson, John Smith and Sizwe Ndlovu when they surged past favourites Britain in the final metres of the lightweight coxless four Olympic final at Eton Dorney last year.

Brittain had been suffering with a back injury for a number of years prior to the Games but was able to compete again at the highest level following initial surgery.

"I hurt my back in school back in 2005," he said.

"My back got a little bit sore from waking up really early and training without stretching.

"I had a bulging disk which I nursed until 2010.

"I had discectomy and I had a few good years after the discectomy until the Olympics, where I had no problems."

Matthew Brittain, Sizwe Ndlovu, James Thompson and John Smith won South Africa's first ever Olympic rowing gold medal when they flew past Great Britain in the final stages of the 2012 Olympic Games



Brittain claimed that he could return to the boat again if he were to undergo a second stage of surgery, however, the operation could risk more damage being caused to his back.

"If I have the operation done then I have three levels of my back that aren't moving and it puts a lot of strain, so I don't see it lasting three years," he said.

"Maybe at the end of next year, then I can do it and it can last for two years and get me to Rio.

"Then I can retire happily."

But Brittain admitted that it would take a special effort to see him regain his seat at Rio 2016.

"I need about six months of proper rehab to get myself back into shape to be able to train, then another six months to get into decent shape," he said.

"There are young guys that have taken my spot. so I'll have to focus on being fast enough to be the best... in the world, and that is how you get your seat back."

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August 2012: Britain's men's rowing four take silver in "brutal" race