The quickfire rise of kayak king Clarke
THE signs of Joe Clarke’s golden future could be seen when he was 13 and gaining promotion to the Premier League of kayak racing in remarkably quick time to compete against men twice his age. Clarke, who won gold for Great Britain in the kayak K1 with a rapid descent down the white water course in Rio, was just as quick rising through the ranks of the sport after starting at 11. Within three years he had paddled his way from relatively calm waters of the River Trent, the base of his Stafford and Stone Canoe Club, to tour the country’s strongest currents — going up against the likes of Campbell Walsh, winner of silver in Athens 2004 and 15 years older. Now 23, Clarke is an Olympic champion, joining swimmer Adam Peaty as a Staffordshire gold medallist in unprecedented success for the region. Andy Neave coached Clarke from his first slaloms in the River Trent until his move into the Great Britain camp and recalled: ‘Starting in Division Four he progressed through Three, Two, One then into the Premier Division, all before he was 14. That is pretty unusual for anyone, both in terms of his age and how quickly he did it. ‘That indicated early on he had quite a lot of potential. It is not an age-defined competition, so it is progressed by ability. Once he reached the Premier Division he was in the same age group as Olympic paddlers at that time. ‘The top division races take place on the roughest waters, located around the country. Currently it is the Olympic course in Lee Valley, Nottingham, the River Tryweryn in Wales, and Grandtully in Scotland.’ Neave remembers Clarke as an extremely dedicated young kayaker. ‘He first came in 2004 with a group from his school, they had an arrangement with the canoe club, as a Year Six student. The club is next to the River Trent. It is not too big there but it has been adapted and it is a great starting place for any young canoeists. ‘The water is not too fierce but it is moving so it means you have to control your kayak in the current, rather than starting off flat. A lot of clubs start out in a swimming pool or perhaps a lake. So Joe had to cope with that. ‘I do remember he had a great attendance record. That indicated his dedication from an early age. He had found something he really wanted to do and stuck with it. ‘He showed great willingness to keep coming when it was cold and miserable. It is not a nice sunny summer sport all the time, sometimes it is pretty grim in winter. If you are determined to succeed that is what you have to deal with. ‘His family have always been strongly behind him, encouraging him, taking him round the country, carrying his boat and equipment. They are out in Rio and celebrating his success.’