'Discipline, suffering, love'

Martin admitted they wanted to tear the boat apart 100 times after a training session if it had gone badly.

"But the next day we returned, believing it will be better," he said, describing rowing as a mixture of "discipline, suffering and love".

The brothers are hoping to continue competing until the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

But, before that, their target is gold in Paris.

"We are always expecting to be in the battle for the gold medal and I expect it again now. I hope we can achieve it," Martin said.

Valent pointed out that these would be their fourth Olympic Games but the "first one at which we are not the favorites, if you look at the results from this year".

"It's a bit strange and different feeling, but if we do our best we can fight for the gold," he said.

The start of the year was a bit slower.

But at last month's World Cup in Poland, the final test for the Olympics, they won silver in the men's pair, a discipline that they had switched to after competing in sculls.

"We narrowly missed winning against the Swiss team who are the current world champions, so it showed us we are on the right path," Valent, a father of two children, said.

"We are in a good position. We can't wait for the Olympics to start to see where we are."

The brothers credit long-time coach Nikola Bralic as key to their achievements, while parents and wives also provide an anchor in a highly stressful sporting environment.

But the bond of being brothers has also helped cement their enduring success.

"Without Bralic we certainly would not be what we are, we would not be on the top for so long," Martin said.

"We certainly wouldn't last that long if we were not brothers," said Valent. "We're connected, it's easier to forgive a brother and you can understand him better than someone else."

AFP