“It’s been a long time in the making and I can’t quite believe it,” said Scott, 25.

“I don’t even know if I’m emotional yet, that will come. We were so process-driven today and the immensity hasn’t struck me because I’ve been trying to play it really cool.”

It was the most unlikely of victories for Team GB, who only led for the first time inside the final metre of the race.

Scott, Brayshaw, Anderson and Henry settled into the race in fourth place as the Netherlands and Ukraine looked to break away from the rest of the field.

The Dutch crew continued to lead as GB moved into second place at the halfway mark, as the battle for gold swiftly unfolded into a two-boat race.

Then, in a dramatic conclusion, a well-timed kick from GB in the final 100 metres pushed them past the Dutch on the line.

“We knew we had it, the confidence,” added Scott.

“We’ve done so many hard miles in training. For anyone out there, just go for it because if you think you can you might just one day and that’s the really cool thing about the Olympics.”