The British Olympic Association (BOA) has today named the four canoe slalom athletes officially selected to compete for Team GB at next summer’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The athletes selected to Team GB across the four events are:
David Florence – Men’s C1 & C2 (born: Edinburgh, lives: Loughton)
Richard Hounslow – Men’s C2 (born: Harrow, lives: Waltham Abbey)
Fiona Pennie – Women’s K1 (born: Alexandria, lives: Waltham Abbey)
Joe Clarke – Men’s K1 (born: Stoke-on-Trent, lives: Waltham Abbey)
With nine months to go until the start of Rio 2016, canoeing becomes the second sport to announce athletes for the Games following the eight sailors named in September.
Two of the four selected paddlers represented Team GB at London 2012: silver medallists David Florence and Richard Hounslow who are paired together again in the men’s canoe double (C2) event. Richard, who will turn 34 in December, also teamed up with Florence to win C2 World Championships gold in 2013.
Florence, the 33-year-old from Edinburgh, who will also race in the men’s canoe single (C1) event, is a double Olympic medallist having taken C1 silver at Beijing 2008 and he is the first canoe slalom athlete to be selected for three successive Olympic Games. David is the current C1 World Champion, having claimed his third World title back in September on the Olympic course at Lee Valley White Water Centre.
The second Scot on the team, Fiona Pennie, represented Team GB at the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008. Since missing out on London 2012, Fiona has come back stronger than ever, becoming European Champion in 2013 and World silver medallist in 2014. She will once again take the seat in the women’s kayak single (K1) for Rio.
Staffordshire’s Joe Clarke, who turned 23 yesterday, will compete in the men’s kayak single (K1) and make his Olympic debut in Rio. Joe, an exciting young talent, has been the British team’s most consistent paddler in this highly competitive event over the last three years and won World Cup silver in 2014.
Team GB’s slalom canoeists have claimed seven medals over the last six Olympic Games – one gold, five silver and one bronze – since the sport was introduced consistently on the Olympic Programme at Barcelona 1992.
On home waters at London 2012, Team GB came away with its first ever Olympic canoe slalom gold, following a podium one-two, with Etienne Stott and Tim Baillie taking the win over Florence and Hounslow by the smallest of margins (0.36 seconds).
Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England said:
“We are delighted to welcome four slalom canoeists to Team GB for Rio, bringing the current total of selected athletes to 12. Canoe slalom has an impressive history of delivering medals at the Games, having won seven medals at the past six Olympic Games. I am delighted that we are today able to announce that David, Richard, Fiona and Joe will be competing at the new, purpose built canoe slalom venue in Deodoro at the Rio 2016 Olympics.”
Team GB Canoeing Team Leader John Anderson said: “Our athletes have been tested throughout a long and challenging season and I am confident we have selected one of our strongest teams ever, with a huge depth of experience of competing and winning medals at the highest level.
“Selecting our team at this early stage allows us to fully maximise the opportunity to paddle on the new canoe slalom course in Rio which is crucial, with a test event and training blocks starting later this month. Over the next ten months we will fine tune our preparations to ensure we are best placed to challenge for the podium next August.”
David Florence said: "I've thought a lot about Rio in the years since the London 2012 Games and I've been desperate to get the chance to compete there. To finally know that I have my place at the 2016 Olympics is so exciting. I can't wait to get out there for the first time and I'm looking forward to giving my all over the next 10 months."
Richard Hounslow said: “I feel super proud to be selected to represent Team GB in Rio. It was incredibly special to win silver in my home town at my first Olympics and I'm now 100% focused on going one better in Brazil."
Fiona Pennie said: “Having missed out on selection for London 2012, being able to go to Rio 2016 is the culmination of a huge amount of hard work and a dream that has been at the forefront of my mind for the last four years. I was disappointed with my result in Beijing in 2008, so am hugely excited to be able to have another chance at performing on the biggest stage as a greatly improved athlete.”
Joe Clarke said: “Since starting canoeing I have always dreamt about going to the Olympics and now I can finally say I'm going. It really is a dream come true! But the hard work certainly doesn't stop here, this is only stage one of the journey ticked off.”
