Brabants reveals lure of London was too good to pass on 2012

By David Jordan, Sportsbeat

TIM Brabants has combined saving lives and pursuing Olympic honours for the past nine years and will be doing so for the final time at the London 2012 Games.

 DOCTOR ON CALL: Tim Brabants reveals the lure of London has kept him juggling medicine and sport

Unlike most British athletes who won Olympic gold in Beijing last summer, Brabants turned his back on his sport - flat-water canoeing - to concentrate on his career as a doctor.

The 32-year-old did the same thing in 2004 after the Athens Games and also after he took bronze in the 2000 Sydney Games.

Brabants will again follow his tried-and-tested path in the build-up to London 2012 - which will undoubtedly be his last Olympics.

The Olympic, world and European champion will take a step back from his medical career at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham in February but admitted he wouldn't be if 2012 was anywhere else other than Britain.

"I wouldn't even be attempting to come back if it wasn't for the Olympics being in London," said Brabants. "I feel I owe it to put the work into my medical career and it's only the fact that it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete at a home Olympics that I'm doing it.

"It is such a great occasion and when I knew they were going to be in London there was no way I could walk away. I'm trying to follow pretty much the same path as I did to Beijing because it was ultimately successful.

"It's a case of all or nothing for me now. Last time I found that everything does, actually, come back pretty quickly."

Brabants will be training at Britain's canoeing base in Nottingham next year - and admitted he isn't underestimating the task in hand to make it to London.

"I'm four years older. But in working for 18 months I've given that side of my mind and body a rest so, hopefully, I'll have the mental and physical freshness to follow it through.

"I'll build towards the nationals and if I'm successful then I'll get straight into the World Cup races and build towards 2012 that way.

"If I don't qualify straight away, then I'll keep training and competing until I'm up to speed."