NAOMI Riches has called time on a stellar rowing career, admitting she could never recapture the elation of winning gold at London 2012.

The 30-year-old from Marlow topped the podium in front of friends and family at Dorney Lake at her home Games last summer.

But she knew it was time to lay down her oar after following up with another gold at this year’s World Championships in Korea.

She said: “There was something incredibly special in London that you couldn’t put your finger on.

“This year’s World Championships in Korea was incredible, but it couldn’t live up to London.

“I didn’t go there knowing I wouldn’t row again. I went there to produce the best race of my career and I was determined to keep GB on top.

“But I came out of it thinking, ‘I won in London, that’s six World Championships golds...now it’s time to do something else.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll watch the Rio Games [in 2016] and a part of me will wish I was out there with them.

“But I’ve achieved my dream. I’ve loved it and enjoyed every step of the way.

“I haven’t yet and don’t think I will regret my decision.”

Riches has been in the sport for a decade and won everything there is to win.

Her first global medal was a World Championship gold in 2004 and she repeated the feat in 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2013, with a bronze in Beijing in 2008 leading to gold in London.

She said: “When I got a phone call in 2004 asking if I’d like to trial for the GB adaptive team, I thought I might as well give it a go.

“Suddenly I was thrust into a world of sport and every year we got better and better and the more we won the more it became my life rather than just something I was good at.

“ I was at the first Games where rowing was a Paralympic sport and I wanted to be part of the first crew to win gold.

“Coming back with a bronze drove me to 2012 and we improved so much over those four years.

“Winning was like a drug and I wanted more and more.

“But I’ve been in the sport for ten years now and there are so many other things I want to do.

“I’m working with Sky’s Changing Lives programme and I’m a water sports mentor for schools, building relationships with clubs and doing workshops with kids and telling them my story.

“I miss rowing and I’m never going to fall out of love with the sport, but I’ve achieved a lot and want to use that to enhance another career. I want to do more giving than taking now.”