Kimberley Woods

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.

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.

She also won 16 medals (eight golds, three silvers and five 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.

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. winning two bronze medals, one in the K1 event and another one in kayak cross.

World Cup individual podiums Total C1 4 4 7 15 K1 2 1 0 3 Kayak cross 2 4 1 7 Kayak cross individual 0 0 1 1 Total 8 9 9 26

SeasonDateVenuePositionEvent 2013 22 June 2013 Cardiff 1st C1 29 June 2013 Augsburg 3rd C1 2015 27 June 2015 Kraków 2nd C1 8 August 2015 La Seu d'Urgell 3rd C1 2016 4 June 2016 Ivrea 3rd C1 10 September 2016 Tacen 1st C1 2017 17 June 2017 Prague 1st C1 18 June 2017 Prague 2nd K1 2019 16 June 2019 Lee Valley 2nd C1 8 September 2019 Prague 2nd C1 2022 26 June 2022 Tacen 1st Kayak cross 2023 11 June 2023 Prague 1st Kayak cross 1 September 2023 La Seu d'Urgell 3rd C1 3 September 2023 La Seu d'Urgell 2nd Kayak cross 8 October 2023 Vaires-sur-Marne 2nd Kayak cross 2024 16 June 2024 Kraków 3rd Kayak cross 14 September 2024 Ivrea 2nd C1 15 September 2024 Ivrea 2nd Kayak cross 21 September 2024 La Seu d'Urgell 3rd C1 22 September 2024 La Seu d'Urgell 2nd Kayak cross 2025 29 August 2025 Tacen 1st K1 30 August 2025 Tacen 3rd C1 5 September 2025 Augsburg 1st K1 6 September 2025 Augsburg 1st C1 2026 31 May 2026 Tacen 3rd Kayak cross individual 6 June 2026 Prague 3rd C1