Tim Brabants

DOB: 23/1/1977 Events: K-1 1,000m/K-1 500m Medals: One gold, two bronze Flag: GBR

Brabants will be aiming to retain his K-1 1,000 metres kayaking title on British waters at the London Olympics in 2012. The 34-year-old paddler, who specialises in the sport's sprinting events, initially retired after his success in Beijing but could not resist the lure of a home Games. Brabants is a qualified doctor and worked in the accident and emergency department of a Nottingham hospital in the aftermath of Beijing, but has now turned his attentions back to kayaking. He competed in his first Olympics in Sydney at the turn of the millennium and came away with a bronze medal after finishing third in the K-1 1,000m. After a disappointing campaign in Athens in 2004 Brabants subsequently spent a year away from the sport, but began to turn his career around when he returned as he took silver at the 2006 world championships in Duisburg. One year before Beijing, he claimed the world title in the K-1 1,000m and also took silver in the 500m and went into 2008 as Britain's big hope in the kayaking events. He lived up to the expectations by taking a comfortable gold in the K-1 1,000m and also managed bronze in the 500m. After his short-lived retirement, Brabants came back to take silver in the K-1 1,000m at the 2010 world championships and will once again be basing his season around the worlds in 2011 as he looks to test his form ahead of the London Olympics a year later.