British slalom canoeist
Joseph Clarke
Nationality British Born (1992-11-03 ) 3 November 1992 (age 32) Stoke-on-Trent , Staffordshire, EnglandEducation Alleyne's Academy Height 182 cm (6 ft 0 in)[ 1] Weight 75 kg (165 lb) Country Great Britain Sport Canoe slalom Event K1, Kayak cross Club Stafford & Stone Canoe Club
Joseph Clarke , MBE (born 3 November 1992) is a British slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2009, specializing in the K1 (kayak) and KX1 (extreme kayak/kayak cross) events.[ 2] He is the 2016 Olympic champion in the K1 event ,[ 3] the 2023 World champion in the same event, and a triple World champion in the kayak cross discipline, and has won multiple medals at World and European Championships. He is the most successful kayak cross competitor at global level in the history of the event.
Early life
Clarke was born in Stoke-on-Trent , Staffordshire.[ 2] He first tried canoeing during a trip with The Scout Association at the age of eight.[ 4] He then applied to join the Stafford and Stone Canoe Club, but was rejected for being too young.[ 5] He was given the chance to reapply through his middle school's canoeing club during year six at Walton Priory Middle School, but as they only had eight places available which were greatly oversubscribed he was required to write a letter to demonstrate why he deserved a place.[ 6] His application was successful and he began training with the club, competing in his first race in 2004 at the age of 11.[ 5] Clarke supports local team Stoke City F.C. [ 7]
Clarke attended Alleyne's Academy high school, after going to his middle school Walton Priory Middle School .[ 8] At the age of 15 he contracted bacterial meningitis which caused an abscess behind one eye. He was in hospital for two weeks and was treated with intravenous antibiotics , after which he made a full recovery.[ 9]
Career
Clarke made his debut for the British junior team in 2009,[ 5] winning junior European Championship silver medals in the K1 team event in 2009 and 2010.[ 10] He has trained at the Lee Valley White Water Centre since 2012.[ 11]
He won a European Championship under-23 silver medal in the individual K1 in 2013, and World Championship silver medals in the under-23 team event in 2013 and 2014.[ 10]
At senior level, he won eight medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with five golds (K1: 2023 ; Kayak cross: 2021 , 2022 , 2023 ; K1 team: 2018 ), one silver (K1 team: 2022 ) and two bronzes (K1 team: 2014 , 2015 ).[ 10] He also won six medals (1 gold, 2 silvers and 3 bronzes) at the European Championships , including a bronze medal in the K1 event at the 2023 European Games in Kraków .
Clarke won the overall World Cup title in Kayak cross in 2023 and 2024 .
Clarke was selected for the 2016 Summer Olympics after winning the individual K1 at the British selection trials in October 2015.[ 8] At the Olympics he qualified for the final of the K1 event with the third fastest time in the semi-final. He won gold in the final with a time of 88.53 seconds,[ 12] the first time a British competitor had won gold in this event.[ 13]
Clarke was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to canoeing.[ 14]
In 2018, Clarke guest starred in the third episode of the fourth series of the CBBC children cooking show Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch .[ 15]
World Cup individual podiums
Total
K1
3
4
2
9
Kayak cross
2
2
2
6
Total
5
6
4
15
Results
2009
Date
Tournament
Event
Score
Place
Run 1
Run 2
Best Run
22–26 July
Junior European Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
110.28
108.97
108.97
27[ 16]
K1 Men Team Heat
N/A
121.97
4[ 16]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
115.45
2[ 16]
2010
Date
Tournament
Event
Score
Place
Run 1
Run 2
Best Run
8–11 July
Junior World Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
102.40
101.18
101.18
3[ 17]
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
122.79
30[ 17]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
116.40
5[ 17]
4–7 August
Junior European Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
98.23
96.97
96.97
4[ 18]
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
104.88
16[ 18]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
115.02
2[ 18]
2011
Date
Tournament
Event
Score
Place
Run 1
Run 2
Best Run
1–3 July
World Cup Race 2
K1 Men Individual Heat
102.40
103.92
102.40
44[ 19]
14–17 July
U23 European Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
97.84
100.54
97.84
15[ 20]
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
101.60
18[ 20]
K1 Men Team Semi-final
N/A
106.02
2[ 20]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
117.73
6[ 20]
~
World Cup Final Standings
K1 Men Individual
N/A
117[ 21]
2012
Date
Tournament
Event
Score
Place
Run 1
Run 2
Best Run
11–15 July
U23 World Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
115.37
unknown
30 [ 22]
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
108.96
12[ 22]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
131.15
10[ 22]
6–9 September
U23 European Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
113.38
111.02
111.02
8[ 23]
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
105.12
5[ 23]
K1 Men Individual Final
N/A
107.60
7[ 23]
K1 Men Team
N/A
128.61
9[ 23]
2013
Date
Tournament
Event
Score
Place
Run 1
Run 2
Best Run
6–9 June
European Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
N/A
85.76
8[ 24]
K1 Men Individual Final
N/A
138.07
13[ 24]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
103.24
7[ 24]
21–23 June
World Cup Race 1
K1 Men Individual
unknown
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
107.85
4[ 25]
5–7 July
World Cup Race 3
K1 Men Individual Heat
unknown
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
103.40
30[ 26]
K1 Men Team Final
unknown
17–21 July
U23 World Championship
K1 Men Individual
unknown
31[ 27]
K1 Men Team
unknown
2[ 27]
30 July – 4 August
U23 European Championship
K1 Men Individual
unknown
2[ 28]
K1 Men Team
unknown
4[ 28]
16–18 August
World Cup Race 4
K1 Men Individual Heat
unknown
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
112.05
29[ 29]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
125.27
8[ 29]
11–15 September
World Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
140.81
88.10
88.10
9[ 30]
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
97.64
6[ 30]
K1 Men Individual Final
N/A
101.07
6[ 30]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
113.94
5[ 30]
~
World Cup Final Standings
K1 Men Individual
N/A
35[ 31]
2014
Date
Tournament
Event
Score
Place
Run 1
Run 2
Best Run
22–27 April
U23 World Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
95.06
94.44
94.44
9[ 32]
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
100.93
11[ 32]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
106.32
2[ 32]
29 May – 1 June
European Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
87.52
136.35
87.52
13z[ 33]
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
88.30
15[ 33]
K1 Men Individual Final
N/A
91.47
11[ 33]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
98.75
2[ 33]
6–8 June
World Cup Race 1
K1 Men Individual Heat
unknown
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
97.88
11[ 34]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
108.71
1[ 35]
13–15 June
World Cup Race 2
K1 Men Individual Heat
unknown
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
152.10
34[ 36]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
122.92
8[ 37]
20–22 June
World Cup Race 3
K1 Men Individual Heat
unknown
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
unknown
K1 Men Individual Final
N/A
98.76
6[ 38]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
157.21
10[ 39]
1–3 August
World Cup Race 4
K1 Men Individual Heat
unknown
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
97.68
24[ 40]
15–17 August
World Cup Final
K1 Men Individual Heat
unknown
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
unknown
K1 Men Individual Final
N/A
95.49
2[ 41]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
113.92
6[ 42]
17–21 Sep
World Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
101.05
204.40
101.05
19[ 43]
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
156.36
36[ 43]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
123.24
3[ 43]
~
World Cup Final Standings
K1 Men Individual
N/A
4[ 44]
2015
Date
Tournament
Event
Score
Place
Run 1
Run 2
Best Run
28–31 May
European Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
94.91
unknown
1 [ 45]
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
95.14
3[ 45]
K1 Men Individual Final
N/A
96.16
8[ 45]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
108.01
2[ 45]
19–21 June
World Cup Race 1
K1 Men Individual Heat
unknown
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
unknown
K1 Men Individual Final
N/A
DSQ-R
10[ 46]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
103.19
4[ 47]
26–28 June
World Cup Race 2
K1 Men Individual Heat
unknown
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
unknown
K1 Men Individual Final
N/A
82.48
4[ 48]
3–5 July
World Cup Race 3
K1 Men Individual Heat
unknown
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
98.77
29[ 49]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
DNS
=16[ 50]
7–9 August
World Cup Race 4
K1 Men Individual Heat
unknown
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
unknown
K1 Men Individual Final
N/A
96.05
9[ 51]
14–16 August
World Cup Final
K1 Men Individual Heat
unknown
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
100.23
18[ 52]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
106.48
2[ 53]
16–20 September
World Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
81.47
unknown
2 [ 54]
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
142.57
38[ 54]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
106.38
3[ 54]
~
World Cup Final Standings
K1 Men Individual
N/A
7[ 55]
2016
Date
Tournament
Event
Score
Place
Run 1
Run 2
Best Run
13–15 May
European Championship
K1 Men Individual Heat
92.58
unknown
19 [ 56]
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
94.98
5[ 56]
K1 Men Individual Final
N/A
144.58
10[ 56]
K1 Men Team Final
N/A
118.17
4[ 56]
10–12 June
World Cup Race 2
K1 Men Individual Heat
unknown
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
96.16
18[ 57]
7–11 August
Olympic Games
K1 Men Individual Heat
135.89
86.95
86.95
2[ 58]
K1 Men Individual Semi-final
N/A
90.67
3[ 58]
K1 Men Individual Final
N/A
88.53
1[ 58]
World Cup Final Standings
K1 Men Individual
N/A
61[ 59]
References
External links
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