In the wake of these results, major changes were swift: CEO Andy Parkinson and Performance Director Brendan Purcell both stepped down. After the Olympic disaster, Purcell attempted to overhaul the team's philosophy, but most athletes refused to follow his direction.

"As Moe Sbihi, who won gold at Rio 2016 and retired after winning bronze in Tokyo, stated, 'When the team is 60-odd deep plus staff, can you really please everybody? No. The team sat through so many review meetings that were orchestrated because of how Brendan was trying to change the culture. I want to go back in time and say, ‘I want us to feel rubbish now so that we can celebrate in Tokyo’. The longer lasting hurt and disappointment is what happened in Tokyo, it is not the day-to-day of being pushed hard."

The period following the Tokyo Games saw a new leadership team with coaches Paul Stannard and Andrew Randell at the helm, who were warmly welcomed by the athletes for their straightforward approach. Australian Randell spearheaded the comprehensive transformation of the women's team, which had returned from Tokyo without any medals. Training sessions became significantly more demanding, in line with the style of the legendary East German Olympic team once led by Jurgen Grobler.

Randell commented, "I don’t think I needed to change much, just hard work and getting right what I call the NTRs – no talent required. On the first day, we got a few fundamentals right. The morale wasn’t particularly good, and people were slagging each other off so that all needed to stop, which it did, very quickly."

Since this change in management, the results have improved considerably, raising British hopes for a podium finish at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This optimism is shared by Sir Steve Redgrave, the legendary British rower who won five gold medals in five consecutive Olympics from 1984 to 2000.

Much of the hope is pinned on athletes like Imogen Grant and Emily Craig. They head into the Paris Games as favourites in the lightweight women’s double sculls, having won ten consecutive international regattas and being named World Rowing Crew of the Year in 2023. Meanwhile, Helen Glover, the team's standout figure, joins the women's quartet that clinched gold at the European Championships last May.

The women's quad embodies the remarkable change in British rowing, featuring Georgie Brayshaw, Lola Anderson, Lauren Henry, and Hannah Scott, a crew that has earned respect for their strong competitive approach. They arrive in Paris as the reigning world and European champions.

On the men's side, Freddie Davidson has taken on the role of the undeniable star, having won every gold medal in the coxless four events at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, as well as at the European Championships from 2022 to 2024. The double pairing of Ollie Wynne-Griffith and Tom George has also impressed, with recent successes including a silver medal in Serbia last year and a gold in Hungary this season.