Medals the motivation for Glover

Olympic and world champion rower Helen Glover finds it "strange" that she is not afforded greater recognition, but insists success at Rio 2016 is far more important to her than publicity.

Glover and partner Heather Stanning claimed gold in the women's W2 class in London three years ago and have not been beaten since 2011.

Despite boasting European, world and Olympic records in addition to holding titles at all three levels, Glover continues to receive little in the way of media coverage.

The 29-year-old told Omnisport: "I never started sport because I wanted recognition or fame, definitely not. And certainly not money, I wouldn't have chosen rowing! But I think there would be a lot of people who would say that Heather and I should get some recognition, because of the things that we have won.

"From the outside, I would agree. If it wasn't myself and Heather, I'd be saying 'those two have won everything, why aren't they a bit more well-known?'

"But I'm really happy where I am. I want to do the best I can in Rio and that's what I care about.

"I don't care when I see names on a list and I'm not there. I don't care when I see people being spoken about or people on billboards. Do I think it's strange, yes sometimes I do. I suppose it's just the way the media works and sport works. The media chooses heroes and I find that strange, but I don't find it offensive and I don't find it a problem.

"The most important thing is that I go to Rio and I give the best performance I can and I'm doing what I think is best for that, not necessarily what I think is best for my bank balance or for my publicity, but what's best for my sporting career."

Glover says her long unbeaten run alongside Stanning will count for nothing if Olympic gold is not retained in Brazil next year.

"I didn't anticipate having an unbeaten streak and I always said it doesn't matter if we lose races now, if we win in Rio," she added.

"And equally it doesn't matter that we've won all these races, if we lose in Rio then that will be the result that stands.

"Really, it means very little. It means that we've had a great few years, but in terms of the Olympics anything can happen."