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Joe Clarke, the 2016 Rio Olympic Games gold medallist, will return to Team GB for the upcoming Olympic Games. Four times World Champion, who excelled at his home World Championships last September, will compete in men’s kayak single and kayak cross, a discipline which will make a debut at the Olympic Games.

 

“I can’t wait for Paris and I’m delighted to be selected for the Games. Obviously, I missed out on Tokyo and to go again eight years later is great. I’m a completely different athlete now. I won the Olympics once, I really want to go out and do the double this time round with two opportunities to win medals. This is the main driver right now, I’m very excited and there are a lot of hard weeks ahead, but we know what we are working towards. It’s special heading as reigning World Champion. It adds a target to my back, but I have high expectations of myself so very excited,” said Joe Clarke.

 

Mallory Franklin, will too be heading to Paris in a role of the current World Champion. She celebrated the title in front of her home crowd in women’s C1 final. Franklin, Tokyo 2020 silver medallist in women’s canoe, will compete in canoe as well as in kayak cross.

 

“I’m delighted to be selected to Team GB for the second time. I knew I was in a strong position coming into the year. To be going again in C1 as World Champion and the opportunity to win another medal is really exciting. Having two medal opportunities with the kayak cross is great. I really want to commit to the event over the winter and try and win two medals in Paris. Medalling in every World Championships since Tokyo gives me some added confidence ahead of Paris. I really want to enjoy the experience. It will be a different experience to Tokyo with the crowd and atmosphere. I will embrace it,” Franklin said.

 

Kimberley Woods represented Team GB in Tokyo and will be heading to her second Olympic Games this summer. She will be competing in women’s kayak and kayak cross. Woods won eight medals during the 2023 season, including four at the home World Championships at the London 2012 Olympic venue.

 

Woods said on the occasion of selection: “I’m really excited to be a part of Team GB again for Paris 2024. Some people don’t get to go to one Olympics so I feel very fortunate to be going to my second Games. It’s not just the one class this time I’ll be racing, I have two events so twice the opportunity to win a medal. Being World Champion and world number one has never happened to me before. I really want to build on that leading into Paris.”

 

The fourth canoe slalom athlete representing Team GB will be Adam Burgess, European Championships medallist and Tokyo 2020 finalist. Burgess finished just outside the medals in men’s canoe final in Tokyo.

 

“I’m so excited to be racing in Paris. It’s one thing making it to the Olympics once, but to be a two-time Olympian is fantastic. Fourth last time round is unfinished business for me. I’m really grateful I have an opportunity to do better. Since Tokyo, I really established myself as one of the top athletes there,” pointed out Burgess.