Heather Stanning admitted she was so “overjoyed” she was on the verge of collapse after winning Britain’s first Olympic gold of London 2012

HEATHER STANNING admitted she was on the verge of collapse after winning Britain’s first Olympic gold of London 2012.

The women’s pair hero — and Royal Artillery officer — rowed to victory with team-mate Helen Glover at Eton Dorney.

Stanning said: "I’m absolutely shattered and absolutely ecstatic all at the same time.

"I want to collapse but I’m just so overjoyed, I just want to jump around at the same time. I’m probably talking rubbish now.

"We could see from all the races we’ve done this season, we’ve got out ahead and stayed there and tried to push on the margin. That’s exactly what we tried to do today."

Despite dominating from the start, Glover refused to believe they would become Team GB’s first women rowers to win gold.

She said: "I was never ever ever thinking: 'We have got this'."

Silver was taken by Australian’s Kate Hornsey and Sarah — over a length back — with bronze going to New Zealand pair Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown.

Glover and Stanning won silver at the 2011 world championships, missing out on gold to New Zealand by just eight hundredths of a second. They were unbeaten in three world cup regattas this year.