Tim Brabants
Encyclopedia
Tim Brabants MBE
(born 23 January 1977 in Chertsey
) is a British
sprint kayaker who has competed since the late 1990s. Competing in three Summer Olympics, he won three medals with one gold (2008
: K-1 1000 m) and two bronzes (2000
: K-1 1000 m, 2008: K-1 500 m).
Brabants won the K-1 1000 m European championship at Szeged
, Hungary in 2002, the first time a British paddler had won the blue riband event.
The 2004 Olympics however were a disappointment. Brabants had won a European silver medal at Poznań
earlier in the season and was the fastest qualifier for the Olympic K-1 1000 m final with the world's fastest time of 3:24.412. However in the final itself he finished in fifth place.
He took a year off from competitive kayaking in 2005 to complete his medical studies at the highly regarded University of Nottingham
followed by a spell as a doctor in Jersey
. But returned to action in 2006, winning the gold medal in Račice in the K-1 1000 m event at the European Championships and the silver medal in the same event at the World Championships in Szeged in August 2006, finishing just 0.06 seconds behind Sweden's Markus Oscarsson
.
2007 was an even better year. Brabants competed in the K-1 500 m discipline as well and at the European Championships won Silver for the 1000 m and Gold for the 500 m. At the 2007 World Championships in Duisburg
, Brabants won gold in the K-1 1000 m and silver in the K-1 500 m events, thus securing a place for Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
.
At these games Brabants made his way into the history books by being the first Brit to win a gold medal in either the sprint or slalom kayak discipline. This he achieved by a convincing win in the K-1 1000 m, leading from start to fininh.
Although best known as a sprinter, Brabants' first success as a senior international had in fact come in the marathon. He won a silver medal at the 1998 World Championships in Cape Town
, South Africa.
Brabants is a member of the Nottingham
Canoe Club and is a physician by profession. He is 188 cm (6'2) tall and weighs 85 kg (187 lbs).
Brabants was Awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2009 New Years Honours List for his services to kayaking. In 2010, he won a silver in the K-1 1000 m event at the world championships
.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(born 23 January 1977 in Chertsey
Chertsey
Chertsey is a town in Surrey, England, on the River Thames and its tributary rivers such as the River Bourne. It can be accessed by road from junction 11 of the M25 London orbital motorway. It shares borders with Staines, Laleham, Shepperton, Addlestone, Woking, Thorpe and Egham...
) is a British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
sprint kayaker who has competed since the late 1990s. Competing in three Summer Olympics, he won three medals with one gold (2008
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
: K-1 1000 m) and two bronzes (2000
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
: K-1 1000 m, 2008: K-1 500 m).
Brabants won the K-1 1000 m European championship at Szeged
Szeged
' is the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county town of Csongrád county. The University of Szeged is one of the most distinguished universities in Hungary....
, Hungary in 2002, the first time a British paddler had won the blue riband event.
The 2004 Olympics however were a disappointment. Brabants had won a European silver medal at Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
earlier in the season and was the fastest qualifier for the Olympic K-1 1000 m final with the world's fastest time of 3:24.412. However in the final itself he finished in fifth place.
He took a year off from competitive kayaking in 2005 to complete his medical studies at the highly regarded University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
followed by a spell as a doctor in Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
. But returned to action in 2006, winning the gold medal in Račice in the K-1 1000 m event at the European Championships and the silver medal in the same event at the World Championships in Szeged in August 2006, finishing just 0.06 seconds behind Sweden's Markus Oscarsson
Markus Oscarsson
Markus Oscarsson is a Swedish sprint kayaker who has competed since 1995. Competing in four Summer Olympics, he won two medals in the K-2 1000 m event with a gold in 2004 and a silver in 2000....
.
2007 was an even better year. Brabants competed in the K-1 500 m discipline as well and at the European Championships won Silver for the 1000 m and Gold for the 500 m. At the 2007 World Championships in Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
, Brabants won gold in the K-1 1000 m and silver in the K-1 500 m events, thus securing a place for Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
At these games Brabants made his way into the history books by being the first Brit to win a gold medal in either the sprint or slalom kayak discipline. This he achieved by a convincing win in the K-1 1000 m, leading from start to fininh.
Although best known as a sprinter, Brabants' first success as a senior international had in fact come in the marathon. He won a silver medal at the 1998 World Championships in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa.
Brabants is a member of the Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
Canoe Club and is a physician by profession. He is 188 cm (6'2) tall and weighs 85 kg (187 lbs).
Brabants was Awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2009 New Years Honours List for his services to kayaking. In 2010, he won a silver in the K-1 1000 m event at the world championships
2010 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2010 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held 19–22 August 2010 in Poznań, Poland, on Lake Malta. This is the third time that the Polish city will host the championships, having done so previously in 1990 and 2001...
.