Joe Clarke narrowly missed out on a medal as he attempted to regain the canoe slalom title he previously held in 2016, finishing in fifth place during his Olympic return. The final was dominated by a stunning performance from Italian competitor Giovanni de Gennaro.
Born in Stoke-on-Trent, Clarke, who added to his collection of five world championship golds last year, had high aspirations for a podium finish after controversially being left out of the Tokyo 2020 selection. His hopes surged when he qualified fastest in the semi-finals, but after going last among the 12 finalists, he couldn’t match De Gennaro’s pace, finishing 0.95 seconds behind bronze medalist Pau Echaniz.
“It’s tough to articulate,” said Clarke. “I don’t believe I made significant errors, just a few small mistakes. The final was intense. The margins were so small, and it’s challenging to be too hard on myself given how close it was. I maintained my composure and had a clean run, so it’s difficult to suggest otherwise.”
Clarke managed to avoid any two-second time penalties for touching any of the 23 gates, but briefly struggled around the seventh gate, necessitating a correction. “At gates six, seven, and eight, I just got a little stuck and had to adjust,” he explained. “That’s likely the difference between a podium spot and where I finished.”
He had to endure a 40-minute wait while all his competitors, including the fiercely supported French silver medalist Titouan Castryck, showcased their runs. While some might say this increased pressure, Clarke dismissed the idea that it impacted him.
“Perhaps for the less experienced,” he noted. “But I’ve faced that kind of pressure before and performed well. The true pressure was the inner drive to medal. The crowd here energizes me.”
Canoe slalom is a captivating sport that challenges paddlers to navigate a series of gates both downstream and upstream, requiring remarkable skill and an understanding of fast-moving water. The audience witnessed the adept De Gennaro, who claimed his first European championship title in May, delivering an almost perfect run with a time of 88.22 seconds. Tokyo gold medalist Jiri Prskavec faltered at the seventh and 16th gates, ultimately finishing in eighth place.
There is still hope for Clarke, who shared that the presence of his young son Hugo in the stands offered him much-needed perspective. “If I’m feeling down right now, the moment I walk over to him, I’ll feel alright in five minutes,” he said. “He’ll just be happy to see me.”
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On Monday, he will participate in kayak cross, a new Olympic event that allows contact between competitors as they navigate a challenging course. “It’s another opportunity for a medal, and if being so close didn’t frustrate me enough, it has definitely fueled my determination,” he remarked. “Finishing fifth today wasn’t the goal I had in mind.”
