March 4, 2015, by Charlotte Anscombe

Nottingham Alumnus is honoured by the Minister for Sport

A new elite training centre for Canoe Sprint has been named after Nottingham alumnus Tim Brabant, Britain’s most successful Canoe Sprint athlete of all time.

The new facility will be named the Tim Brabants Elite Training Centre, in recognition of his outstanding achievement in Canoe Sprint and for being the sport’s first ever Olympic gold medallist in 2008.

By the time he graduated from the University in 2002, the Medicine graduate had already picked up a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. A gold and bronze a medal followed in Beijing, before Tim finished eighth at London 2012 in front of a raucous home crowd.

Helen Grant MP, Minister for Sport and Tourism performed the official opening of the new centre which is at Dorney Lake near Windsor.

The new facility has opened just in time to prepare paddlers for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, and beyond, and will vastly improve their daily training environment.

The project has also benefited from innovative partnership working between British Canoeing, Sport England and UK Sport, along with Eton College (owners of the Dorney Lake site) and Serco (who manage the site), which will secure the centre’s long-term future, whilst ensuring access arrangements for the sport. Helen Grant MP said: “It’s a great honour to have opened the Tim Brabants Elite Training Centre that will be home for our top canoeists as they prepare for the Rio 2016 Games. It’s vital that we leave no-stone unturned to give our athletes the best chances of success in Brazil and this world-class facility will help them be on top of their game when they reach the start line. With investment from Sport England, working alongside UK Sport, this facility will also leave a great legacy for canoeing in this country.”

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