Stoke-born Joe Clarke is a 26-year-old kayaker competing in highly dynamic canoe slalom tournaments. It’s a sport which sees athletes battle against white water in an attempt to navigate their craft through an arduous course in the quickest time possible.
Clarke sets off on the slalom course at the Lee Valley White Water Centre in north-east London
After taking home gold in the Men’s Slalom K-1 at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Clarke established himself as one of the nation’s finest talents. But despite finishing the 2019 season ranked second in the world, he was edged out of a place for Tokyo 2020 under British Canoeing's firstpast-the-post policy after finishing behind Forbes-Cryans at the World Championships. Undeterred, Clarke endures an incredibly tough training regime to ensure he remains in top form – and ready to compete at the highest level should the call come.