Interview

2007 – a magnificent seven for GB’s sprint racing World Champion Tim Brabants!

What a season Tim Brabants has had this year, winning seven medals, three of them gold, in five major competitions… and all this before a double gold at the Beijing test event.

We look back at the season, man, his achievements and his aspirations and ultimate goal of winning gold at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.

How did you first become involved in kayaking?
My mum took me to Elmbridge Canoe Club in Weybridge for a week long ‘come and try it’ course in the school summer holidays back in 1987. It was a great way to start and from there, I never looked back!

What is it about kayaking you like so much?
Initially, I most enjoyed just being on the water with all there is to see whilst paddling. Things like the wildlife and scenery. As I started to get introduced to racing, I was bitten by the bug and started to really enjoy competing and progressing through the ranks.

Were you instantly drawn to flatwater racing?
Elmbridge is a flatwater club and there isn’t really any opportunity to do any other canoeing disciplines in the area so naturally, that is what I started to really enjoy. It is a very easy and cheap sport to get involved with at any age with options to progress to whatever level you choose. With two main disciplines of sprinting or marathon racing, both with several ability categories, there is something for everyone.

2007 European Championships

With growing confidence, Brabants was set to defend his European Champion title in the Men’s K1 1000m event and despite winning his heat a whole five seconds ahead of his competitors, he lost his crown to Norwegian Erik Veras Larsen. However that was a momentary blip on the radar as he went on to win gold the next day in the 500m event, his second medal over the 500m distance during the season so far. Results: Flat Water Racing K1 1000m Men 1. NOR Veraas Eirik Larsen, 3.39.179 2. GBR Tim Brabants, 3.40.342 3. HUN Zoltan Benko, 3.41.742 Results: Flat Water Racing K1 500m Men 1. GBR Tim Brabants, 1.42.653 2. SWE Anders Gustafsson, 1.42.905 3. POL Marek Twardowski, 1.43.450

When did you win your first race?
I cannot remember exactly when I won my first race unfortunately. I think it probably was a Division 9 marathon race when I was about 12 years old.

Did you join a canoe club?
See question 1!

What is your typical day’s training?
A typical day starts with the first session on the water at 7:30am which will last 90 minutes to two hours. Some days this will be followed with a running session or swimming. The afternoon session consists of either another paddling session or weights. Around this will be plenty of eating good quality foods for recovery, sports massage/physio, sleep and rest!

Are you naturally competitive?
When training at Elmbridge, everyone paddles in groups of different abilities. If you win a training effort against other people, it’s a bit like winning a race. That’s how I think I developed my competitive side, always wanting to go faster and faster to move into better and better training groups.

2007 World Championships

With the warm up of the World Cup and European events, Tim was set for the challenge of racing in both the 1000m and the 500m events, in the key event of the year – the World Championships. Both races were incredibly close but medals were always in his sight as battle was rejoined with Canadian Adam Van Koeverend. No-one will forget the in the 1000m race. It has been described as the battle of the greats. Everyone can remember great sporting duels of our time be it either recent or latter day - Muhammad Ali and George Foreman rumbled in the jungle in Zaire; Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell showed that speed and guile matter at Silverstone, Federer and Nadal rolled with it on the tennis court clay of Roland Garros in Paris. The race between Tim Brabants and Adam Van Koeverden was talked of in the same breath. Anyone who witnessed this contest saw the lead change four times and was treated to an ultimate sporting memory. Tim was determined to take gold and take gold he did. The next day in the shorter 500m final Tim was again up against the Canadian Adam Van Koeverden, this time it was even closer and Tim very marginally missed out on gold (1.36.279) winning the silver medal in a time of 1.36.607 a good achievement given that this was the second quickest race in history. The World Championships were of extra significance this year because it was a qualifying event for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Tim’s top positions secured Great Britain’s representation in the 1000m and 500m events in Beijing next year; a fantastic result for Brabants and Team GB. Performance Director John Anderson commented, “Just fantastic, I knew he would win” and when asked how it felt to be World Champion Brabants said, “I always knew it would be difficult out there I am really really pleased” and he went on to commend his adversaries in making it such a hard race. It was a truly inspiring performance by the man and indeed a successful world championships for the GB team as a whole. Results: 500m 1. CAN Adam Van Koeverden, 1.36.279 2. GBR Tim Brabants, 1.36.607 3. POL Marek Twardowski, 1.36.661 Results: 1000m 1. GBR Tim Brabants, 3.40.113 2. CAN Adam Van Koeverden, 3.40.675 3, NOR Erik Veras Larsen, 3.41.60 The final event for the year was the pre-Olympic test event in Beijing, which gives the event organisers the opportunity of a ‘staged run through’ before the main event next year, and gives the athletes a taste of the facilities and environment in which they will race in 2008.

What is the highlight of your career so far?
I think winning the World Championships in the K1 1000m this year has been a real high point for me. I have been racing in K1 over 1000m for a very long time at International level and been in the top five for almost as long. Probably my absolute highlight was winning the bronze in the K1 1000m at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. This was Britains first ever Olympic medal in flatwater racing and there is something very special about an Olympic medal I think.

How are you preparing for Beijing 2008?
Preparation will follow a very similar program to the 2007 World Championships training. My coach Eric Farrell, has coached me for the past 14 years, so he knows me well and what training I need to go fast! I went to Beijing after the World Championships this year to race in the pre-Olympic regatta on the Olympic course. China is an amazing place and it was a great opportunity to get a feel for the acclimatisation to the heat, humidity and time difference. It really is a world class course and I’m very excited about racing there for the Olympics.

What would be your ultimate goal to achieve in flatwater racing?
My ultimate goal had been to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. After the season I’ve just had, taking a gold and silver at the World Championships, I think my ultimate goal now is to take two gold medals at the games!

What advice would you give to up and coming flatwater paddlers?
It doesn’t matter how high you are aiming, commitment and passion for what you are trying to achieve are the two most important qualities to have. It is easy to simply go through the motions and pretend to yourself you are committed to training etc. The people who are achieving what they want to achieve are not necessarily those with the most talent, they are those who want to win the most and are willing to put the effort in that is required to win.