TGI Liam! From barman to the kayak king

KAYAKER Liam Heath won Team GB’s 25th gold medal at the Rio Olympics, powering to success in the men’s single 200m yesterday to become Britain’s most successful canoe sprinter.

Heath’s gold was his second medal of the Games, after he and Jon Schofield took silver in the doubles event on Thursday – an improvement on the bronze that the pair won at London 2012.

He now moves ahead of fellow kayaker Tim Brabants in the British canoeist medal table. Brabants has won a gold and two bronzes.

After the medal ceremony, a jubilant Heath said: ‘I’ve got the full set now – bronze in London, and now silver and gold here. It’s incredible.’

The 32-year-old won in 35.19secs, ahead of France’s Maxime Beaumont, with Spain’s Saul Craviotto and Germany’s Roald Rauhe in joint third.

The glory and attention surrounding yesterday’s triumph was a far cry from Heath’s old job as a barman at TGI Friday’s, an American-style restaurant in his home town of Guildford, Surrey. ‘It has been in my mind every single day for the last four years,’ he said of his dream of winning gold. Describing what was going through his mind in the race, he added: ‘I felt that I went into automatic pilot. It is unbelievable.

‘You don’t realise who is where alongside you. You are just focused on your lane.’

Heath’s wife, Emily, 32, who was there to cheer him on, joked that her biggest celebration will be ‘actually seeing him for the first time in four months’ – Heath has been locked in a spartan training regime with little time for anything or anyone else. She added: ‘I’m ecstatic, relieved and so proud – no one deserves this more than Liam after the amount of work he’s put in. And now I’m looking forward to a romantic holiday and having him all to myself.’

Liam and marketing manager Emily, who have been married for a year, plan to visit Greece after the Games.

Heath’s team-mate Schofield, meanwhile, spoke of his pride at watching his partner cross the line in first place yesterday. He said: ‘I have seen all the work that he has put in and how much he deserves it.’

Heath becomes the second Briton to win the 200m in consecutive games after Ed McKeever’s success four years ago.