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Brendel revealed that at the age of 37 he is retiring from his exceptionally successful career, crowned with three Olympic gold medals and one bronze, along with 26 medals at the World Championships, 21 medals at the European Championships, and two medals at the European Games.

 

The German canoeist claimed his first Olympic title in 2012 in London, where he was unbeatable in the C1 1000m event. He repeated this success four years later at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where he not only triumphed again in the C1 1000m, but also took gold in the C2 1000m final with Jan Vandrey. At the Tokyo Olympics, he added a bronze medal in the C2 1000m event, this time with Tim Hecker.

 

He won his first European Championship medal in Belgrade in 2011, taking gold in the C1 1000m. Over the course of his career, he amassed a total of 15 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze medals at the European Championships. His record at the World Championships was even more impressive — he claimed his first medal in 2009 in Dartmouth, finishing third in the C1 1000m, and went on to secure 13 gold, 8 silver and 5 bronze medals in senior competition. At the European Games, he won gold in Baku in 2015 and bronze in Minsk four years later.

 

In his farewell message on social media, Brendel wrote: “What an amazing time! I am incredibly grateful for a truly wonderful time as an athlete. In 25 years of competitive sport, I’ve experienced many highs and lows that I will remember for the rest of my life. I want to thank everyone who supported, encouraged and motivated me — without you, this journey wouldn’t have been possible. It’s been great … THANK YOU SO MUCH! Even though I won’t be standing at the starting line myself anymore, I will continue to be involved in sport and look forward to the challenges ahead.”