Olympic kayak champion Tim Brabants reckons the frustration of not being competitive at this year’s World Championships will be worth it providing he strikes gold in 2012.

The Teddington-based 33-year-old star got back on the water last month to begin a two-year campaign to repeat his golden success of Beijing in 2008.

Former Elmbridge Boat Club member Brabants will be re-united with coach of 15-years Eric Farrell's having spent the last 18 months progressing his career as an A&E doctor in Nottingham.

He is set to use Teddington’s Royal Boat Club as his training base for the next 24 months and has pencilled in July’s European Championships for his international comeback ahead of the Worlds in August.

It gives him little time to recapture the medal winning form of 2007 and 2008, which saw him crowned European champion over K1 1,000m 12 months after claiming a world gold over the same distance.

But Brabants, who will be following an updated version of his blueprint for Olympic success under Farrell, concedes he has to start somewhere.

“My main aim is to make the finals at the Europeans and Worlds and to just try and be competitive,” he said.

“Knowing I’m not going to be in the right shape to win a medal is going to be very frustrating, but I have to be realistic. While I’ve kept my fitness up I’m not going to be in race shape.

“Next year is much more important. It will be the Olympic qualifiers then and I’ll know exactly where I stand.

“It is good that in all these competitions you are up against the athletes you’ll face at the Olympics. There is always a benchmark for you. You know where you need to improve and you update the training programme accordingly.

“The Winter Olympics has been inspiring and it reminds you London is only just around the corner. Gold is the focus.”

Brabants, backed by Teddington businesses physioandtherapy UK and butcher AG Millers, quit his job in the midlands in January to return to the water.

And while he admits it is good to be back in action he is yet to see any of the cash windfall some predicted Britain’s Beijing gold medalists could expect to cash in.

“It feels really good to be back. I’m fresh and rested and ready to re-build the muscle and fitness ready for racing again,” he added.

“It wasn’t as hard a decision as I thought it would be to come back, although it is not too pleasant on the water at the moment.

“I remember just after Beijing I read an article predicting winners could expect to earn £1million in connection with their success, I’m still waiting.

“Life hasn’t got much easier, I’m still driving around in the same car. Every little bit of sponsorship helps.”

Tim Brabants....a day in the life

7am - Having already got up and eaten, it is out on the water for about two hours. I see people eating the breakfasts in hotels overlooking the Thames and think I just want toast.

10.30am - Have a second breakfast and then it is an hour of swimming and pre-hab training to make sure I recover properly.

Lunch

3pm - hit the St Mary’s University gym for the afternoon. High-repitition - literally hundreds - training designed to build up strength and power specific to kayaking. Lots of work on core strength for stability. It is pretty intense and you know you have worked hard.

5pm - Recover. I go for sports a massage twice a week, or a trip to my chiropractic. The older I get the better care I have to take of my body.

9pm - Collapse. I’m usually shattered, but you feel good for it and know you’ve effectively put more money in the bank for race day.