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Kimberley Woods

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Kimberley Woods
Woods in 2022
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born (1995-09-08) 8 September 1995 (age 31)
Rugby, England
Height1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight62 kg (137 lb)
Sport
CountryGreat Britain
SportCanoe slalom
Event
C1, K1, Kayak cross
ClubRugby Canoe Club
Medal record
Women's canoe slalom
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2024 ParisK1
Bronze medal – third place2024 ParisKayak cross
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2017 PauC1 team
Gold medal – first place2018 Rio de JaneiroC1 team
Gold medal – first place2019 La Seu d'UrgellK1 team
Gold medal – first place2021 BratislavaK1 team
Gold medal – first place2023 LondonKayak cross
Gold medal – first place2023 LondonC1 team
Silver medal – second place2015 LondonK1 team
Silver medal – second place2022 AugsburgKayak cross
Silver medal – second place2023 LondonC1
Silver medal – second place2025 PenrithK1
Bronze medal – third place2018 Rio de JaneiroK1 team
Bronze medal – third place2021 BratislavaK1
Bronze medal – third place2022 AugsburgC1 team
Bronze medal – third place2023 LondonK1 team
Bronze medal – third place2025 PenrithC1 team
Bronze medal – third place2026 Oklahoma CityK1
European Games
Silver medal – second place2023 KrakówC1 team
European Championships
Gold medal – first place2015 MarkkleebergC1
Gold medal – first place2016 Liptovský MikulášC1 team
Gold medal – first place2016 Liptovský MikulášK1 team
Gold medal – first place2017 TacenC1
Gold medal – first place2017 TacenC1 team
Gold medal – first place2018 PragueC1 team
Gold medal – first place2019 PauC1 team
Gold medal – first place2021 IvreaK1 team
Gold medal – first place2026 IvreaKayak cross individual
Silver medal – second place2021 IvreaC1 team
Silver medal – second place2022 Liptovský MikulášK1 team
Bronze medal – third place2015 MarkkleebergC1 team
Bronze medal – third place2019 PauC1
Bronze medal – third place2024 TacenC1 team
Bronze medal – third place2025 Vaires-sur-MarneKayak cross individual
Bronze medal – third place2025 Vaires-sur-MarneK1 team
Bronze medal – third place2026 IvreaC1 team
U23 World Championships
Gold medal – first place2014 PenrithK1 team
Gold medal – first place2016 KrakówC1 team
Gold medal – first place2017 BratislavaC1 team
Silver medal – second place2016 KrakówC1
Silver medal – second place2017 BratislavaK1 team
Silver medal – second place2018 IvreaC1
Bronze medal – third place2012 WausauC1 team
Bronze medal – third place2015 Foz do IguaçuC1
Bronze medal – third place2015 Foz do IguaçuC1 team
Bronze medal – third place2017 BratislavaC1
Bronze medal – third place2018 IvreaK1
Bronze medal – third place2018 IvreaK1 team
U23 European Championships
Gold medal – first place2016 SolkanC1
Gold medal – first place2016 SolkanC1 team
Silver medal – second place2016 SolkanK1
Bronze medal – third place2012 SolkanC1 team
Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place2012 WausauK1 team
Silver medal – second place2013 Liptovský MikulášK1
Bronze medal – third place2012 WausauC1
Bronze medal – third place2013 Liptovský MikulášC1 team
Junior European Championships
Gold medal – first place2012 SolkanC1
Gold medal – first place2013 Bourg-Saint-MauriceC1
Silver medal – second place2012 SolkanK1
Silver medal – second place2013 Bourg-Saint-MauriceK1 team
Bronze medal – third place2011 Banja LukaK1 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.[1] 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

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Personal life

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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,[2] 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.[3] She won three medals at the world junior competitions but was forced to stop canoeing because of an injury and turned to self-harming.[3]

In 2013 she attended Rugby College and later, the University of Hertfordshire.[4]

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.[2]

Canoeing

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Woods has won 16 medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with six golds (Kayak cross: 2023; C1 team: 2017, 2018, 2023; K1 team: 2019, 2021), four silvers (C1: 2023; K1: 2025; Kayak cross: 2022; K1 team: 2015) and six bronzes (K1: 2021, 2026; C1 team: 2022, 2025; K1 team: 2018, 2023).[5]

Woods in 2023 in Prague

She also won 18 medals (nine golds, three silvers and six 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 K1 and C1 in 2025 and in Kayak cross in 2023 and 2024.[6]

She qualified to represent Great Britain at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the Women's K1 event[7] where she finished in 10th place.[3]

In 2024 she returned to Olympic kayak competition, in Paris[8] winning two bronze medals, one in the K1 event and another one in kayak cross.[9]

World Cup individual podiums

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1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Total
C144715
K12103
Kayak cross3418
Kayak cross individual0022
Total991028
Season Date Venue Position Event
201322 June 2013Cardiff1stC1
29 June 2013Augsburg3rdC1
201527 June 2015Kraków2ndC1
8 August 2015La Seu d'Urgell3rdC1
20164 June 2016Ivrea3rdC1
10 September 2016Tacen1stC1
201717 June 2017Prague1stC1
18 June 2017Prague2ndK1
201916 June 2019Lee Valley2ndC1
8 September 2019Prague2ndC1
202226 June 2022Tacen1stKayak cross
202311 June 2023Prague1stKayak cross
1 September 2023La Seu d'Urgell3rdC1
3 September 2023La Seu d'Urgell2ndKayak cross
8 October 2023Vaires-sur-Marne2ndKayak cross
202416 June 2024Kraków3rdKayak cross
14 September 2024Ivrea2ndC1
15 September 2024Ivrea2ndKayak cross
21 September 2024La Seu d'Urgell3rdC1
22 September 2024La Seu d'Urgell2ndKayak cross
202529 August 2025Tacen1stK1
30 August 2025Tacen3rdC1
5 September 2025Augsburg1stK1
6 September 2025Augsburg1stC1
202631 May 2026Tacen3rdKayak cross individual
6 June 2026Prague3rdC1
5 September 2026Vaires-sur-Marne3rdKayak cross individual
13 September 2026La Seu d'Urgell1stKayak cross

References

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  1. ↑ "Profile". paddleuk.org.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  2. 1 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. 1 2 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.
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