Sebastian Brendel resigns: Canoeing legend ends career

Sebastian Brendel resigns: Canoeing legend ends career

Schwedt/Oder, Deutschland - On July 4, 2025, the three -time Olympic champion Sebastian Brendel, an outstanding athlete in canoeing, announced his end of his career. The 37-year-old athlete, born on March 12, 1988 in Schwedt/Oder, announced his resignation as part of a solemn event by KC Potsdam. However, Brendel will be preserved as a coach in the youth area and plans to start working at the Federal Police in Potsdam in autumn.

Brendel, who has been training at KC Potsdam since 2000, is considered a real icon in Canadier sports. With a total of 13 world championship titles and 29 medals at European Championships, he has developed a unique place in the history of canoeing. The top athlete had his last international appearance in 2024 at the Olympic Games in Paris, where he reached the final in a Canadian, but missed the medal ranks, how rbb24 reported.

sporting success

Sebastian Brendel started his career in canoeing in Schwedt in 1996 and quickly developed into one of the best athletes in his discipline. His breakthrough came in 2005 when he became a Canadian at the Junior World Championships in Szeged.

his impressive medal collection continued at the Olympic Games:

• 2012 in London: Gold medal in a Canadian
• 2016 in Rio de Janeiro: gold medal in a canadier and Olympic champion in two-man canadier with Jan Vandrey over 1000 m
• 2020 in Tokyo: bronze medal in two-way canadier with Tim Hecker over 1000 m

In addition, he won numerous medals at the World Championships in Duisburg 2013 and Moscow and became the flag bearer of the German team at the final party in Rio.

An era in canoeing ends

his resignation marks the end of a remarkable era in canoeing, especially in the disciplines of the one and two canadians. The canoeing has had Olympic history since 1936 when canal racing had its premiere in Berlin. There are currently ten competitions in canoeing, which include both men and women, while in the past competitions such as cancellation and races with folding boats have also been held, as highlighted by wikipedia.

Brendel, who is also active as a federal police officer, will take a role model function in the youth field and thus continue to influence the development of future canoe dales. His success and commitment to sport will be remembered for a long time.