Heartbroken women's hockey captain Kate Walsh fought back the tears to vow her side would not leave the Olympics empty handed after their semi-final defeat to Argentina.
Britain narrowly failed to pull off what would have been one of the greatest results in their history after going down 2-1 at London 2012 to the world champions.
"We came together in 2009 to do our central programme and we laid down on the line there and then that our vision was going be gold," a distraught Walsh said. "To have that dream taken away is heartbreaking."
They staged a stirring second-half fightback after falling 2-0 behind at the Riverbank Arena but could not prevent their dreams of playing in an Olympic final for the first time from being shattered.
They must now lift themselves in order to emulate the bronze medal they last achieved in Barcelona 20 years ago.
The 32-year-old, who led a huddle of the team after the final whistle, added: "We put in our best performance in that game of this tournament.
"We took the reigning world champions very close and we believed right until the end that we were going to get that equaliser and that we could go on to the win.
"We are not going home empty-handed. We're not. We've fought too hard, given too much."
"There are girls who aren't here and we owe them, and our friends and families, to get something out of this tournament.
"We've been in this position many times before as England and Scotland and Wales and now as GB, and we will fight for that bronze medal."