Joseph Clarke MBE

Joe Clarke is the 2016 Olympic Champion in the canoe slalom men's K1, making history at the Rio Games by winning GB's first gold medal in this event and Team GB's second gold medal of the Games.

Joe is the current men's extreme slalom World Champion, putting down some blistering performances in Bratislava to take gold in the new Paris 2024 Olympic event. He became Britain's first senior World Champion in the discipline, despite initially missing out on qualification until a spot was handed back. 

Joe had an extremely strong 2019 season and he got it off to a great start ,winning gold at World Cup 1 at Lee Valley as well as posting his best ever result at the European Championships finishing fourth. He had been in the final of every event that season, demonstrating his consistency in this often unpredictable sport.

In 2018 he won his first ever World Cup gold at World Cup 2 in Krakow and a World Cup bronze in Liptovsky. Having won the semi final in Rio at the World Championships he went on to finish fifth in the final, recording his best ever World Championships result and won gold in the K1 Team event with teammates Bradley Forbes-Cryans and Chris Bowers.  

In 2014 Joe won a silver medal in K1 at World Cup 5, his first senior individual medal.

Joe's interest in canoeing first started on a kayaking trip with the Scouts.  He started paddling canoe slalom when he was 11, joining Stafford and Stone Canoe Club.  From there he was quickly promoted through the divisions and hasn't looked back since breaking into the GB Junior team in 2009.