Jackson, who defied doctors by fighting back from a serious Achilles injury, drove his crew of Joel Fearon, Stuart Benson and Bruce Tasker to within 0.11s of an Olympic medal. The quartet, who came to Sochi as European silver medallists, achieved their Games target of a top-six finish.
Lamin Deen’s GBR2 four-man squad narrowly qualified for the top-20 to contest the final run and ended 19th.
Britain’s women’s crew of Paula Walker and Rebekah Wilson finished 12th, while Deen and John Baines in the two-man bob came 23rd. The team only came together the week before competition started after a back injury in training ruled out Beijing Olympic sprinter Craig Pickering.
Former Olympic brakeman and BBC commentator Colin Bryce said: “Paula Walker didn’t get on with the track initially and struggled in training, but she stepped it up in competition and although she was not in the top eight as she hoped, I still think it was a solid result.
“Lamin Deen is a pilot for the future. He’s a big strong man, improved over the season, especially in the four-man, and bodes well for the future.
“John Jackson and his crew pushed exceptional starts. The athletes they brought into the crew, and the technological help from McLaren and BAE Systems, gave him the chance to drive as well as he did, despite the horrific injury.
“You need a good pilot, a good start and good equipment and for GBR 1, all three elements were exceptional. I hope Jackson stays in the sport for another couple of seasons to pick up some more deserved medals.”