Relive the magic of the Paris 2024 Games

The Varies-sur-Marnes Nautical Stadium set the scene for a spectacular summer of world-class paddling from Team GB and ParalympicsGB. Our British athletes brought home twelve medals across the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, making history. 

Brilliant Olympic bronze for Kimberley Woods
Kimberley Woods started the medal rush after winning bronze in the women’s kayak on day two of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Her first Olympic medal. Kim put down a clean run in the final, taking second place behind Jessica Fox before Zwolinska from Poland pushed Woods into third place. It was the first Olympic medal in the women’s K1 for Great Britain since Helen Reeves in Athens 2004.

“I’ve got a medal around my neck, and I’m so happy…It shows I’ve got so much strength. I’m so proud of who I’ve been the last three years since Tokyo.” – Kimberley Woods.

Sensational silver Olympic medal for Adam Burgess
Adam Burgess won silver in the men’s canoe on day three of the Games, the first men’s C1 Olympic medal since David Florence, who also won silver in Beijing 2008. Despite getting into difficulty on the approach to gate 17, he fought back strongly to keep his clean run going. Adam went into the lead, recording the first time under 97 seconds, with only three to go. He was beaten out for gold by France’s Nicolas Gestin.

Adam Burgess

“I’ve dreamed of this moment since I was ten years old. I was trying to keep myself calm. I was really trying to think about the little kid who was dreaming about this moment.” – Adam Burgess.

Olympic finals for Mallory Franklin and Joe Clarke
After a promising start, Mallory Franklin finished 12th in the women’s canoe final. She was up on the leader at the first split before picking up a penalty on gate seven. Despite rallying back, further penalties and a late missed gate saw Franklin finish outside the medals.

Joe Clarke claimed a top-five finish in the men’s kayak on day six. After finishing fourth place in qualifying, Clarke recorded the fastest time in the semi-final and was last to go in the final. Clarke powered through the finish line in a strong final section to take fifth place.

Silver and bronze inaugural kayak cross medals for Clarke and Woods
After dominating the preliminary rounds, Joe Clarke took the far right lane in the men’s kayak cross final, but Finn Butcher took the lead off the start line. Despite his best efforts to catch the New Zealander, Joe crossed the line in second place to claim the silver medal. Joe’s second Olympic medal after winning kayak gold at Rio 2016.

In a dramatic women’s final, Kimberley Woods was in second place behind Noémie Fox off the ramp. Fox moved away from the field as Kimberley crossed the line in fourth place after taking a risk to go for gold. However, Elena Lilik’s fault on upstream gate two promoted Woods to third place and secured her bronze medal, her second medal in the Games.

“Two medals in five minutes for Team GB. Doesn’t get any better than that.” – Joe Clarke

Paralympic Games

The British paracanoe team ended the competition topping the table with a record-breaking eight medals, the greatest return from the sport’s three appearances at the Paralympic Games. 

Glorious Paralympic Golds for Emma Wiggs, Charlotte Henshaw & Laura Sugar
Charlotte Henshaw and Emma Wiggs got the British paracanoe team off to a golden start as they were again crowned Paralympic champions on the first day of the finals.

Emma Wiggs dug deep to retain her Paralympic title in the women’s VL2, the only woman to duck under a minute to win in 58.88 seconds and to become a three-time Paralympic gold medallist. Charlotte Henshaw capped off a brilliant day as she won the first-ever women’s VL3 final at a Paralympic Games, leading from start to finish to victory ahead of team-mate Hope Gordon.

Charlotte Henshaw and Hope Gordon

On the final day, Charlotte Henshaw retained her title in the women’s KL2 to become the first British paracanoe athlete to win two gold medals at a Paralympic Games. Emma Wiggs secured her second medal of the games, taking silver. Laura Sugar joined the gold rush by brilliantly retaining her own title in the women’s KL3 and claiming a fourth gold medal for Paralympics GB.

Emma Wiggs MBE and Charlotte Henshaw MBE

“It hasn’t quite sunk in but I am proud to get on the podium. We are well prepared for the conditions because we train in Nottingham.” – Laura Sugar.

Superb silver, first-time Paralympic medals for Dave Phillipson, Hope Gordon & Jack Eyers
Former wheelchair tennis player Dave Phillipson won the first Paralympic medal of his career at his fifth Games and second in paracanoe, with a brilliant performance for silver in the men’s KL2 final.

Dave Phillipson

Hope Gordon made it a British one, two in the women’s VL3, by claiming the silver medal. A sensational debut at her first Paralympic Games in paracanoe, having competed in para Nordic skiing at Beijing 2022. Hope also competed in the women’s KL3, finishing fifth.

The final medal for Paralympics GB was won by Jack Eyers, who secured silver in the men’s VL3 at his debut Games. Jack powered into the lead after the halfway stage and was neck and neck as the finishing line approached, taking silver just 0.08 away from gold.

Jack Eyers

“The goal was always to start paracanoe and become a Paralympian. I have done European and World Championships and now a Paralympics. I’ve got the set.” – Jack Eyers.

Finals booked across the board
Jeanette Chippington, appearing at her eighth Games, took an agonising fourth place in the Women’s VL2. Racing again in the Women’s KL1, she pushed all the way, ultimately placing seventh.

There was a sixth place for Rob Oliver in a hotly contested men’s KL3 final. As Algeria’s Brahim Guendouz surged ahead for gold, it was too close to call between five paddlers, with Rob unfortunately missing out in the photo finish, just 0.14 off bronze.

Ed Clifton marked his Paralympic Games debut with an appearance in the men’s VL2 fina­l. Despite the difficult cross-winds, the Chelmsford paddler tackled the conditions with everything he had to place seventh in the final.

Visit the Paddle UK Paris 2024 hub to learn more: https://paddleuk.org.uk/paris-2024/