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Kimberley Woods

Woods in 2022
Personal information
Nationality	British
Born	(1995-09-08) 8 September 1995 (age 29) Rugby, England
Height	1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight	62 kg (137 lb)
Sport
Country	Great Britain
Sport	Canoe slalom
Event	C1, K1, Kayak cross
Club	Rugby Canoe Club
Medal record Women's canoe slalom Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games 2024 Paris K1 2024 Paris Kayak cross World Championships 2017 Pau C1 team 2018 Rio de Janeiro C1 team 2019 La Seu d'Urgell K1 team 2021 Bratislava K1 team 2023 London Kayak cross 2023 London C1 team 2015 London K1 team 2022 Augsburg Kayak cross 2023 London C1 2018 Rio de Janeiro K1 team 2021 Bratislava K1 2022 Augsburg C1 team 2023 London K1 team European Games 2023 Kraków C1 team European Championships 2015 Markkleeberg C1 2016 Liptovský Mikuláš C1 team 2016 Liptovský Mikuláš K1 team 2017 Tacen C1 2017 Tacen C1 team 2018 Prague C1 team 2019 Pau C1 team 2021 Ivrea K1 team 2021 Ivrea C1 team 2022 Liptovský Mikuláš K1 team 2015 Markkleeberg C1 team 2019 Pau C1 2024 Tacen C1 team U23 World Championships 2014 Penrith K1 team 2016 Kraków C1 team 2017 Bratislava C1 team 2016 Kraków C1 2017 Bratislava K1 team 2018 Ivrea C1 2012 Wausau C1 team 2015 Foz do Iguaçu C1 2015 Foz do Iguaçu C1 team 2017 Bratislava C1 2018 Ivrea K1 2018 Ivrea K1 team U23 European Championships 2016 Solkan C1 2016 Solkan C1 team 2016 Solkan K1 2012 Solkan C1 team Junior World Championships 2012 Wausau K1 team 2013 Liptovský Mikuláš K1 2012 Wausau C1 2013 Liptovský Mikuláš C1 team Junior European Championships 2012 Solkan C1 2013 Bourg-Saint-Maurice C1 2012 Solkan K1 2013 Bourg-Saint-Maurice K1 team 2011 Banja Luka K1 team

Kimberley Woods (born 8 September 1995) is a British slalom canoeist who has competed in C1, K1 and KX1 at the international level since 2011. A six time world and eight time European champion, she won the bronze medal in both the K1 event and the first ever women's kayak-cross (KX1) event in Paris at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Life

Personal life

Woods was born in 1995, one of four children living in Rugby. Aged four she watched her aunt Diane, who was a silver medallist at the 1994 World Junior canoeing Championships, and was helped by her grandparents to get her own canoe. She was bullied as a child because of her physique and used canoeing as an escape from this. She won three medals at the world junior competitions but was forced to stop canoeing because of an injury and turned to self-harming.

In 2013 she attended Rugby College and later, the University of Hertfordshire.

Woods has been open about how she has struggled with mental health issues throughout her life. On two occasions she has checked into a private mental health hospital, and has stated how she experienced suicidal thoughts.

Canoeing

Woods has won 13 medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with six golds (Kayak cross: 2023; C1 team: 2017, 2018, 2023; K1 team: 2019, 2021), three silvers (C1: 2023; Kayak cross: 2022; K1 team: 2015) and four bronzes (K1: 2021; C1 team: 2022; K1 team: 2018, 2023).

She has also won 14 medals (eight golds, three silvers and three bronzes) at the European Championships, including a silver in the C1 team event at the 2023 European Games in Kraków.

Woods won the overall World Cup title in Kayak cross in 2023 and 2024.

She qualified to represent Great Britain at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the Women's K1 event where she finished in 10th place.

In 2024 she returned to Olympic kayak competition, in Paris winning a bronze medal in the women's slalom K–1.

World Cup individual podiums

				Total
C1	3	4	5	12
K1	0	1	0	1
Kayak cross	2	4	1	7
Total	5	9	6	20

References

1. "Profile". BritishCanoeing.org.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
2. ^ Media, PA (28 July 2024). "'It's finally me': kayaker Kimberley Woods' joy after claiming first Olympic medal". the Guardian. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
3. ^ McRae, Donald (4 March 2024). "'My only outlet was self-harming': canoeist Kimberley Woods on taming depression and targeting Paris gold". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
4. "Former student and future Olympian visit Rugby College ahead of Tokyo 2020". wcg.ac.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
5. "Kimberley WOODS (GBR)". CanoeSlalom.net. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
6. "2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup" (PDF). Retrieved 29 July 2023.
7. "Team GB canoeing athletes selected for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games". www.teamgb.com. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
8. "The complete day-by-day guide to Team GB at Paris 2024". ESPN.com. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
9. Poole, Harry (28 July 2024). "Paris 2024 Olympics: Great Britain's Kimberley Woods wins kayak single bronze". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 July 2024.

External links

• Kimberley Woods at the International Canoe Federation
• Kimberley Woods at Team GB
• Kimberley Woods at Olympedia

• 1995 births
• Slalom canoeists
• English female canoeists
• Living people
• British female canoeists
• Medalists at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships
• Olympic canoeists for Great Britain
• Canoeists at the 2020 Summer Olympics
• Canoeists at the 2023 European Games
• European Games silver medalists for Great Britain
• European Games medalists in canoeing
• Sportspeople from Rugby, Warwickshire
• Canoeists at the 2024 Summer Olympics
• Olympic medalists in canoeing
• Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain
• Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics
• Alumni of the University of Hertfordshire
• 21st-century English sportswomen