Tim Brabants won gold and bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Double Olympic canoeing medallist Tim Brabants has been named in the Great Britain squad for the first time since the Beijing Games.

The 33-year-old spent 18 months away from the sport after the 2008 Olympics to focus on his career as a doctor.

Brabants, who won gold in the kayak 1000m and bronze in the 500m, will race at the World Cup events in Hungary (28-30 May) and Germany (4-6 June).

"My fitness is good - I'm feeling better than three years ago," he said.

Brabants only returned to full-time training in February and is currently combining his three daily canoe-based sessions with additional gym exercises, swimming and running.

The canoe sprint squad was selected following the GB Selection Regatta in Nottingham last weekend.

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"It was a great experience as I've only been back in training for 12 weeks," Brabants added.

"One of the best things is that the rest of the men's team are doing really well. It's making my life harder, but we seem to have some real depth in the team, which we've seemed to be lacking."

Results from the two World Cup fixtures will help determine the GB squad for the European and World Championships, later in the year.

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