Mallory Franklin: Britain's most successful female canoeist aiming for gold in Paris
- Published
Mallory Franklin won slalom silver at Tokyo 2020 in the first ever Olympic women's C1 race
Team GB's Mallory Franklin wants to go one step further this summer and win a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Franklin won slalom silver at Tokyo 2020 in the first ever Olympic women's C1 race.
She is Great Britain's most successful female canoeist, having won 16 World Championship medals - seven gold, five silver and four bronze.
"It will be tough but getting gold at Paris will be my aim," Franklin told BBC Sport.
Paris will provide the opportunity of a second competition for Franklin to compete in with the debut of the kayak cross event.
Kayak cross, external is a combination of all white-water disciplines, with competitors racing in identical plastic creek boats.
"The chance to maybe get two medals with kayak cross will be pretty cool," Franklin said.
"I will be pushing in them both and giving myself the freedom to enjoy it and hope the results come."
Franklin, who is from Windsor, made her Olympic debut in Tokyo and will compete in European and World Cup races before the Games in France this summer.
She is hoping to go into Paris as world champion and be racing at her fastest before participating on the biggest stage.
The 29-year-old puts her motivation down to the previous experience of representing Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics.
"Experiencing Tokyo and winning my medal really drives me to get back and be part of it again," she said.
"It's amazing to represent GB and be part of it as well as show off who I am and what I do - it's something I'll always be proud of."
In November, Team GB announced that Franklin had been selected for the Olympics alongside Tokyo Olympian and 2023 kayak cross world champion Kimberley Woods.
Woods will contest for both the women's kayak single (K1) and also the kayak cross where she could end up getting drawn alongside Franklin.
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