It will be tough to emulate the achievements of 2012 where Britain qualified all 13 of their boats to A Finals on their way to topping the rowing medal table, but Tanner is confident.
“There’s no doubting our team peaked at the London Games,” he said. “We enjoyed an enormous amount of success, but things can always be better – and that’s the challenge for Rio.
“There are going to be those who want to hang up their oars, those who need a break before getting on the road to Rio and many who simply want to get on with it.
“A good number are coming back, which is pleasing, and encouragingly, there are many youngsters coming through battling for places on the senior team.
“I was out with the team in Varese, Italy, last month for the European Championship and it was encouraging to see a young team, which didn’t feature any Olympians, come away with five medals.”
Three-time Olympic medallist Greg Searle has announced that he will retire from the sport, while Katherine Grainger, who won silver three times before claiming gold with Anna Watkins in London, has yet to make up her mind.
But any departures will simply give the likes of Olympic medallists Kat Copeland, Constantine Louloudis and George Nash – who are all aged under 23 – the chance to step up and lead the team.
After four years of gruelling training, Tanner gave his Olympians some time off after London so that they could spend time with their families, have a holiday and make the most of the perks that come with being an Olympic medallist.
For some, the rest was welcome. “The build-up to London was so intense that it was a relief to get the chance to just do normal, everyday things,” said Alex Gregory who won gold in the men’s four with Pete Reed, Andy Triggs Hodge and Tom James.
For others, a return to training couldn’t come soon enough. “When the weather was nice in September, I headed out onto the water by myself and it was just a great feeling to be able to do that because I wanted to,” said Copeland, 21, who won gold with Sophie Hosking in the women’s lightweight double sculls. “I could just enjoy it.”