European Games 2023: Five athletes from Great Britain who could shine in Poland
Olympians and Olympic champions are among the 178 athletes Team GB will take to this year’s European Games. Discover five stars who will be aiming to shine when the competition takes place from 21 June to 2 July.
The Brits are out in force for this year’s European Games, which take place in Krakow and its surrounding areas in Poland from 21 June to 2 July.
British athletes from 18 disciplines will take part in the Games, in addition to the athletics team who will compete as Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the European Athletics Team Championships.
Among the throng of athletes aiming for glory at the Games, Team GB have included some of the cream of British talent including Olympic gold medallists and athletes who have starred on the world and European stage.
From the first BMX freestyle gold medallist in history to a double Olympic taekwondo champion nicknamed ‘the headhunter’ here are five stars hailing from the British Isles who are aiming to shine at the Games.
Charlotte Worthington, BMX freestyle
When Charlotte Worthington steps out at the BMX Freestyle Park European Championships, which will take place on 22 June as part of the European Games, she will be competing as the first-ever Olympic champion in the discipline.
The former chef’s showing in Tokyo, where she stole the show with a blistering last run, saw her lift women’s gold in BMX freestyle’s first outing at the Olympics.
Worthington had previously demonstrated her immense talent at the 2019 European Championships where she won the title in Caddenazzo. Now she is back on familiar turf hoping to add another European title to her resume.
At 26, Worthington is still in the prime of her career and has ambitions of defending her Olympic title at Paris 2024. Watch out for her dazzling array of tricks and flips, as well as her fearless approach to her sport that saw her crowned Olympic champion after landing the first ever 360 backflip in women’s competition history.
Mallory Franklin, canoe slalom
Five world titles, seven European golds and an Olympic silver medal are just some of the accolades Mallory Franklin has accrued over the years - and the 28-year-old seems in no mood to slow down.
Having won the extreme kayak overall World Cup title in 2022, Franklin is in blazing form heading into these European Games in Poland.
Franklin is an adaptable competitor and a triple threat who is equally comfortable competing in the C1, K1 and XC categories, making her one of the favourites for a European title.
While Olympic gold has so far eluded her, Paris 2024 may just be the Games in which she takes her place on the top step of the podium.
Joe Choong, modern pentathlon
Britain’s modern pentathletes enjoyed a stellar Tokyo 2020, winning gold in both the men’s and women’s events. In the former, it was Joe Choong who reigned victorious, landing on the top step of the podium after fending off the challenges of silver medallist Ahmed Elgendy of Egypt and Woongtae Jun of Republic of Korea.
In Poland, Choong has the chance to continue his immense run of form after he won the world championship gold in 2022.
The 28-year-old also has the chance to qualify for Paris 2024, with eight modern pentathlon quotas available for the top-performing athletes at the European Games.
Jade Jones, taekwondo
Welsh taekwondo star Jade Jones is already a legend of the sport.
After winning Olympic gold at London 2012 the now 33-year-old followed it up with a second gold medal at Rio 2016.
However, things didn’t go the way of Britain’s first-ever Olympic taekwondo champion at Tokyo 2020 where she succumbed to Refugee Team competitor Kimia Alizadeh in her first bout in the -57kg category.
Jones, who is nicknamed ‘the headhunter’, will be hoping to bounce back in style at these European Games before what could be a final assault on a third Olympic title at Paris 2024.
While there are no Olympic quotas available in taekwondo at these European Games, vital Olympic ranking points will be on offer, so expect fireworks as athletes fight to get one step closer to next year’s Games in Paris.
Joe Clarke, canoe slalom
Another Olympic champion representing Team GB at the Games is Rio 2016 canoe slalom gold medallist Joe Clarke.
The 30-year-old won gold in the K1 event but missed out on the last Games at Tokyo 2020.
With Paris 2024 just over a year away, Clarke is back in red-hot form winning consecutive titles in the extreme kayak event that will feature for the first time at next year’s Games.
The upcoming European Games will also serve as the European Championships for canoe slalom while the winners in each of the four events will earn quotas for their country for Paris 2024.