Joe Clarke: New father targets Olympic gold medals after 'tough times'

Joe Clarke became Team GB's first Olympic gold medallist in the kayak K1

"Tough times do not last, tough people do."

That quote has helped Olympic gold medallist Joe Clarke through some difficult times in recent years.

The 30-year-old was Team GB's first Olympic gold medallist in the kayak K1 when he triumphed at the 2016 Olympic Games, but it has not been plain sailing since.

Despite being the defending champion and in the best form of his career at the time, Clarke controversially missed out on a spot at the Tokyo Games.

"I look back at it and it was a real tough time," he recalls.

"My wife had moved down, she'd had a successful business in Staffordshire as a beautician. She'd moved to live with me so she'd had to set up again. Things weren't going well for her. She'd gone from a real good client base to nobody.

"She was supporting my dream to go to the Olympics in Tokyo. I'd worked really hard for that. To not make it but also have her in a rut as well, it was a tough time for both of us.

"I'm proud to say she's got a really successful business down here and I'm in the form of my life and looking forward to hopefully getting to Paris.

"Tough times don't last, tough people do. I think that's a really good quote that's seen us through this period."

Clarke is competing in the World Championships at his home training course - Lee Valley White Water Centre.In Thursday's kayak heats, he finished 23rd fastest in the first heats to qualify for Saturday's semi-finals.

Fatherhood has 'changed my perspective'

The three years since missing out on the Tokyo Olympics have flown by for Clarke.

This year he has won six medals, setting high expectations for these World Championships, where he will be watched by his eight-month-old son Hugo and wife Annabel.

With Great Britain selection 10 weeks after the birth of his first child, Clarke looks back at the training schedule and sleepless nights as "kind of a baptism of fire" but "a good challenge".

"In a normal job you might take some paternity leave, but it's been back to it quite quickly," Clarke told BBC Sport, thanking his "very understanding" wife for helping him to put in the work required to pursue his dream.

"Becoming a father has definitely changed the perspective when I am sitting on that start line," said Clarke.

"I'm doing it for myself, but also for him to be proud of his dad."

Achieving qualification for Paris next year remains his focus, and Clarke hopes he can then bring home two medals.

"We've got the first kayak cross in the Olympics," he said. "To be the first Olympic gold medallist in that would be pretty cool.

"The ultimate goal is to win gold medals in both events."

Team GB must first earn themselves a spot in the men's kayak event in Paris through a British paddler finishing within the top 15 nations at the World Championships.

But Clarke is already dreaming of winning Olympic gold in front of his son.

"Obviously, he wouldn't remember it too much, but we'll have photos of that," he said. "I think about him going to nursery and taking photos in and showing people."

As for the future, Clarke had been considered retirement after the Paris Games, but looks to have shelved those plans for now.

"I always thought I would retire after Paris," Clarke said. "But there's nothing about retiring in the plans at the moment."

BBC coverage details

Friday, 22 September: C1 semi-finals at 1000-1210 BST and C1 finals at 1330-1515 BST on BBC iPlayer and Red Button

Saturday, 23 September: K1 semi-finals at 1000-1230 BST BBC iPlayer and Red Button and K1 finals at 1330-1515 BST on BBC iPlayer

Sunday, 24 September: Kayak cross finals at 1330-1515 BST on BBC iPlayer and Red Button