Brendel won Olympic gold in the C1 1000 at London 2012 and Rio 2016, becoming the first paddler in 64 years to defend his title in the C1 1000. In Rio, he also won the C2 1000 title and has a C2 1000 bronze from Tokyo 2020. The veteran has a whopping 26 world medals, including 13 golds. He is a police officer and is among the most successful paddlers in the world. Brendel will race the C1 1000 in Paris.