Olympic legend Derek sets his sights on basketball glory

A former Olympian – and current head of training and development at Champions (UK) plc – is set to return to the world of professional sport.

Many will remember Derek Redmond for his iconic 1992 Olympics moment when his father, Jim, helped him over the finish line during the Men’s 400m after tearing his hamstring.

Now, the 59-year-old has been selected to play in the 2025 World Basketball Championships for GB Men’s Over-55s side.

A former Birmingham Bullets and England professional basketballer, Redmond will be linking up with The Federation of Masters Basketball Association (FIMBA) GB side, which provides the opportunity to continue performing on the international stage for all age groups 35+.

He said: “I’m obviously really excited. It rolls back the years of preparing for a major competition like the World Championships.

“It all comes with new challenges, a bit of excitement, a little bit of apprehension, a little bit of going slightly into the unknown.

“I guess my advantage is I’ve competed at the highest level, so I won’t be getting stage fright and that sort of stuff.

“I think my biggest concern or worry is that I can still perform at that sort of level, and I’m not going to make a complete fool of myself.”

A multifaceted athlete, Redmond has also competed in rugby 7s, boxing, martial arts and motorcycle racing post-athletics career.

The former Olympian has revealed that he wants to continue to perform professionally for as long as possible.

He said: “Even at the age of 59 I’m not giving up. People always think, ‘why do you still box at your age?’ Well, why not? When am I going to stop? When I can’t climb in a ring or run up and down a basketball court.”

Derek is a renowned keynote speaker and business training provider, utilising  his own learnings to help motivate organisations’ teams.

He said: “It means a lot to me, because of what I do now for a living, talking about resilience, talking about never giving up, being brave, trying new things.

“I think this is an example of that, and I’m pretty much practicing what I preach.”

The 2025 World Basketball Championships will take place in Ticino, Switzerland, from 27 June to 6 July, 2025.

FIMBA GB M55 head coach Des Williams said: “I’m over the moon that Derek is joining the team and preparing with us for the World Championships.

“He adds that extra dimension and competitive edge and I’m looking forward to working with him.”