The men's canoe slalom K-1 event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro took place from 7 - 10 August at the Olympic Whitewater Stadium.

Joseph Clarke, is a British slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2009, specializing in the K1 (kayak) and KX1 events. He is the 2016 Olympic champion in the K1 event,the 2023 World champion in the same event, and a triple World champion in the kayak cross discipline, and has won multiple medals at World and European Championships. He is the most successful kayak cross competitor at global level in the history of the event.