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Britain’s Clarke wins kayak gold at World Championship
Joe Clarke MBE opened the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Oklahoma City with a gold medal in the men's kayak cross, bouncing back from a poor performance the previous day. The win is significant as the venue will also host canoe slalom at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and it extends the 33-year-old's remarkable record in the sport, having previously taken Olympic kayak cross silver in Paris.
Clarke won the individual time trial in 46.54 seconds, describing the turnaround as fantastic given he had struggled with the kayak cross the day before and was also carrying a neck niggle. It marks his seventh world title across all events, an improvement on the silver he won in the same discipline at Penrith last year. Elsewhere, Britain's Lois Leaver, 24, claimed her first senior World Championship medal with bronze in the women's kayak cross, finishing just 0.12 seconds behind gold in 51.17 seconds — her best career result.
In short
- Joe Clarke wins men's kayak cross gold at World Championships in Oklahoma City
- Result comes at the 2028 LA Olympics canoe slalom venue
- Lois Leaver wins bronze, her first senior World Championship medal
Explained simply
Kayak cross is a competitive paddling discipline where athletes navigate small boats down whitewater courses. Winners are determined by their speed and technique on the course.
Joe Clarke is a 33-year-old British paddler and one of the world's top kayak cross competitors. He recently won a silver medal in kayak cross at the Paris Olympics and has won multiple World Championship titles.
The World Championships are being held in Oklahoma City at the same venue that will host kayak cross at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Lois Leaver is a 24-year-old British paddler who also competes in kayak cross.