Standard bearer of Belgian swimming, Pieter Timmers will soon end his career. The Limburger would have liked to bow out this summer at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, a meeting which made him one of the best Belgian sportsmen of the decade thanks to a silver medal in the 100 meters freestyle in Rio in 2016. But the coronavirus pandemic decided otherwise. On Friday and for the next four weeks, Timmers will be in Budapest to compete in the International Swimming League, his last outing as a professional swimmer.
Pieter Timmers hoped for a farewell in mondovision during the Japanese meeting, finally postponed to 2021. He will have to be content with the International Swimming League, innovative and lucrative team competition. For its second edition, the event had to review its plans and focus its ten oppositions, i.e. twenty days of competitions spread over one month, in the Duna Arena basin in Budapest, all with measures adapted to the health situation.
“We’re going to have to stay in a bubble and no one will be able to get out of it. Family and friends will therefore not be present“, explained Pieter Timmers, who will see nothing of Budapest other than the swimming pool and his hotel room.”I do not expect to skim the debates but I want to surpass myself. I have always been competitive. The technique is not gone, everything is still working well“, added Timmers, smiling, on a video conference.
It is relieved and proud of the work accomplished throughout his career that the BRABO resident will be able to start a second life. “I don’t think I’ll be overwhelmed with emotion but happier to move on. I really can’t wait to start another chapter of my life“, added the 32-year-old Belgian, who is not closing any doors on his future.
“Nothing is decided yet. I am motivated and interested in a lot of things. I do not exclude a role in the sports world. If there are any invitations, I will study themadded Timmers, who never really considered continuing until 2021 after the Games were postponed.
Indeed, the 2m00 swimmer and his wife Elle De Leeuw, already parents of a little girl since 2017, are expecting a second child for next spring. They have already left Antwerp to join Humbeek. It is on a bicycle that Pieter Timmers sees himself maintaining his form once the jerseys are in the closet. “I received a racing bike and Flemish Brabant is a great region to do it. I want to continue to play sports. I also want to climb Mont Ventoux. Even if it’s not easy when you’re 2m00“, punctuated Timmers.
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“The Tokyo Games will be painful to watch”
“These will be the most painful games to watch“, conceded the Limburger.
The Belgian record holder in the 100-meter freestyle in 47.80, signed in Rio during his main feat of arms, spoke with pride about his career.
“I didn’t expect to get this high when I was young. But I worked so hard to make up for my lack of talent“, explained Timmers.”I am very proud of my career and the results achieved. Very few swimmers do this. It takes a lot of work.“
“I have some very good memories. Besides Rio, I particularly remember the relays with the Belgian team, the many trips and internships abroad.“Timmers has three continental medals in the long course with the Belgian relays. He won bronze in the 4×200-meter freestyle in Berlin in 2014 before taking silver (4×200) and bronze (4×100) two years later in London.
Twelfth in the 100-meter freestyle at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where he admits to being “out of nowhere“, Timmers also had to digest a few unfortunate episodes.
From the height of his double meter, Pieter Timmers has indeed experienced several defections, both dazzling and frustrating. Victim of a gastrointestinal infection before Euro 2012 in Debrecen, he finished 7th in the 100-meter freestyle final. In 2014, he suffered a pneumothorax and operated on a few months before the Euro in Berlin, where he nevertheless finished 5th in the 200 meters and 9th in the 100 meters.
Arrived in London “in great shape“to compete in the European Championships in the summer of 2016, where”gold was almost certain“Timmers experienced sleep problems due to a very bad hotel bed.”I knew what time I had in my legs, and the winner didn’t swim it“, did he declare.
In 2018, the Limburger was preparing to join Glasgow but was deprived of the Euro due to meningitis on the eve of his departure. “It was all very frustrating“He conceded, insisting that these were things he couldn’t control.
Timmers also has six European medals in short course, four individual and two with the Belgian 4x50m freestyle relay.
The void left by the departure of Timmers promises to be yawning. “The future of Belgian swimming? Hard to say. Physically, some are very good but there is a lot of room for improvement mentally. Most of them are young, there is still work to be done.“
Gladly admitting to leaving the pools without hesitation, the future former BRABO resident nevertheless concedes that he will miss certain sensations. “Maybe the feeling of being in competition, of being the first and the fastest, that no one is able to catch up with me.“
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