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Canoe Slalom & Kayak Cross GB teams announced for 2023 international season
After three days of hotly contested racing at Lee Valley White Water Centre over Easter weekend , the teams that will be representing Great Britain for the 2023 season have been confirmed .
To
catch up with all the action from the Easter selection series you can follow here
The pinnacle of the season for the 12 selected athletes will be the eagerly anticipated 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships at Lee Valley White Water Centre in September , the first time the London 2012 venue has hosted a World Championships since 2015 .
Alongside this , there will be a five-race ICF World Cup series which concludes at the Paris 2024 Olympic venue and the athletes will also have the opportunity ( subject to selection ratification ) to represent Team GB at the European Games in Krakow for the first time .
Joe Clarke MBE ( Stafford & Stone ) leads the way once again in the Men ’ s K1 ( MK1 ), after scoring maximum points over the weekend . The Rio 2016 Olympic Champion will also double up in the men ’ s kayak cross ( MX1 ), getting the opportunity to become a World Champion for the third consecutive time , having retained his title in Augsburg last year .
He will be joined on both startlines by club-mate Chris Bowers ( Stafford & Stone ), who too had a strong selection weekend . Chris showed fantastic form in 2022 , and won his first gold in the Kayak Cross World Cup in Krakow .
Making his senior team debut , CR Cats ’ Jonny Dickson completes the men ’ s K1 line-up . The 2022 U23 bronze world medallist had a storming weekend at Lee Valley his performances also mean Jonny will be the top U23 boat for the next year .
The trio will also compete in the Kayak Cross alongside Etienne Chappell ( Seren Dwr ) who secured his place on the senior team for the first time . The Welsh athlete has a strong pedigree in the event , winning his first medal at the ICF World Cup in Lee Valley four years ago , as well as U23 World Championships silver last season .
An impressive weekend saw Tokyo Olympian Kimberley Woods ( Rugby ) comfortably secure her place on the team in all three classes . She trebled up in Women ’ s C1 , K1 and Kayak Cross finishing at the top of all three events - with Mallory Franklin pre-selected in the Women ’ s C1 following her World Championship medal winning performance last year .
Kimberley won a number of kayak cross medals on the international circuit last year , including silver at the World Championships , and is looking forward to taking her good form into the season ahead .
Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Mallory Franklin ( Windsor & District ) will also compete in all three disciplines again . Mallory had an incredible 2022 season , winning a total of 11 medals across all classes .
Her bronze at the World Championships in Augsburg meant she was pre-selected in C1 , but a solid K1 campaign over Easter weekend saw her retain her place once again . www . britishcanoeing . org . uk
Joe Clarke MBE Chris Bowers Jonny Dickson Etienne Chappell