OLYMPIC rowing hero Matthew Pinsent told pupils at an East Lancashire school that he was relieved he'd finally retired.

The rower was speaking during a visit to Oakhill College, Whalley, that saw him show off his impressive haul of four gold medals.

As well as passing round his medals to the school's older pupils, he also told them that this week's wintry weather had persuaded him that he'd made the right decision to put down his oars after his latest triumph in Athens last year.

Matthew, who led Britain's coxless four to the narrowest of victories in Athens last summer and became one of only five athletes to win gold at four successive games, was recently made a knight in the Queen's New Years Honours list.

Cathryn Robbins, assistant bursar at the independent school, said: "He was great with the kids and they were especially excited when he passed the medals round to the older ones."

"One pupil asked him to put into words how tired he feels at the end of a race. He said it was almost as if you were about to die!

"And when one asked him about what he was doing 12 months ago, he said he thought about the freezing weather today and remembered he'd be out rowing for up to three hours a day in these kind of temperatures. He didn't miss that aspect at all."

The visit was arranged when one of the pupil's grandparents, businessman Colin Mustoe who owns Senator office supplies in Altham, signed up the Olympic hero for promotional work.

He agreed to take his medals along to his granddaughter's school.