Tim Brabants fails to defend kayaking title

After an initial start in canoe marathons, he specialised in the sprint events, taking bronze in the 2000 Sydney games. But there was disappointment four years later: despite a European silver medal and the fastest qualifying time, he trailed home in fifth place, without a medal.

But Brabants had a second career to fall back on. After embarjing on a medical degree at Nottingham University, he took a year off in 2005 to finish his studies, spending time working as an emergency doctor in Nottingham City Hospital after the 2004 and 2008 games.

He was awarded the MBE in 2009 for his sporting achievements – but a year later he suffered a serious setback, after tearing his pectoral muscle doing bench presses at the gym. He had an operation on his shoulder, and through sheer determination, managed to return to championship form.

Brabants, at 35, the oldest and most experienced member of the British canoe squad, used all his drive and experience to battle through to the final, making it by just four hundredths of a second. He told the Evening Standard that some of his hospital colleagues were among the cheering crowds at Eton Dorney, watching him compete: “They all say I’m doing the right thing by chosing this over medicine”.

Brabants plans to go back to life as a hospital doctor after the London games are over – although that doesn’t mean he has ruled out competing again in Rio, in four years time.