The pain of a failed Olympic gold-medal defence has seen sculler Scott Brennan immediately commit to a long four-year preparation for the 2016 Rio Games.

A luckless Brennan was left gutted when back injuries to both himself and partner David Crawshay saw them bomb out in the semi-finals of the double sculls at Eton Dorney last month.

It was a far cry from the pair's golden result at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but it has only made the 29-year-old Tasmanian more motivated to put all he can into a fourth Games campaign.

While the large bulk of Australia's 46-strong London Olympic rowing squad is expected to take a year off in 2013, Brennan is even prepared to row in the single sculls at the Sydney World Cup in March as well as the world championships in Korea.

"I'm serious about what I want to do for the next four years so I don't see any point in waiting around," he told AAP.

"This will be the first opportunity I'll have to race internationally in my own country."

A doctor, Brennan took two years off after Beijing to finish his medical degree and start his hospital internship.

He admitted the late start to his London campaign and his frantic efforts to "catch-up" left him vulnerable to injury. This time it will be different.

"My main goal now is I want to go four years without an injury," he said.

Brennan is unsure about Crawshay's intentions but an impending wedding makes him an unlikely 2013 prospect.

The 2011 world championship-winning quad sculls crew of Dan Noonan, Karsten Forsterling, James McRae and Chris Morgan - who took bronze in London - are also expected to take a break.

Brennan was the under-23 world champion in the single sculls in 2003 and the possibility of a return is intriguing for Australian rowing.

"I rowed the single as an underage athlete and really enjoyed it and it's a good challenge," he said.

"I can't even imagine rowing without David there but if there's not a double going well or quad then who knows? I have to make a single go quick as well."