Noemie Fox leads Aussies to kick off slalom worlds
Joanna Guelas |
Noemie Fox has just missed out on a dream start to the slalom world championships, finishing fifth in the kayak cross time trials.
Reigning Olympic kayak cross champion Fox was Australia’s best on Monday but missed out on a podium finish on the first day of the championships at Penrith Whitewater Stadium by 0.12 seconds.
Swiss paddler Alena Marx set an unbeatable time of 62.09 seconds to take gold.
Slovenia’s Ajda Novak was second, with Brazilian kayaker Ana Satila in third.
Fox posted a time of 63.35 against Satila’s 63.23.
But the Australian will progress to the head-to-head knock-out rounds, among the best 42 across the men’s and women’s kayak cross time trials.
The 28-year-old shapes as Australia’s best hope of a title at home, with older sister and three-time Olympic goal medallist Jess still recovering from an unexpected surgery to remove a tumour on her kidney.
While labelling Monday’s performance as “frustrating” after an early mistake at the first upstream, the younger Fox believes she has never been better prepared to tackle the world championships.
Fox placed better than top seed Kimberley Woods, with the Briton going 15th-fastest.
“It’s bittersweet because I had a big mistake at the top, but then held it together,” Fox said.
“What’s changed is, previously, I know that that could have derailed me or made me feel that the race was lost.
“To be able to come back and not let something like that affect you when you know it was a bit of a time loss, that’s what I’m really proud of.”
Fox said she wasn’t concerned with proving herself in her sister’s absence, feeling she’d already done so at the Paris Games.
“In Paris, I was there as an individual and not part of a package,” Fox said.
“Regardless of whether she was racing or not here, my approach was going to be the same.
“It’s just harder not having her as a teammate and hard as a sister.”
Australia’s next best woman in the time trials was debutant Codie Davidson, who replaces Fox in the 11-strong squad.
Davidson was 37th-fastest with a time of 78.01 seconds.
Fellow debutant Georgia O’Callaghan won’t progress after a fault at the second gate, placing 50th out of 51.
Timothy Anderson was Australia’s best in the men’s time trials, setting a time of 58.09 seconds to place 10th.
Ben Pope was 33rd after posting a time of 60.19 seconds, while Lucien Delfour just made the cut in 41st.
Anderson trailed 2.88 seconds behind first-placed Spaniard David Llorente.
British top seed Joseph Clarke was second, while Czech kayaker Jakub Krejci was third.
Melbourne product Anderson admitted expectation for podium finishes in Penrith had intensified since the Paris Games, especially in the absence of Jess Fox.
“People know who slalom athletes are now, especially around here. We’re quite well known in the community,” Anderson said.
“You do feel a bit of pressure to perform well.
“It’s been fun, though. It’s nice to have something to motivate you.
“I feel like after the Olympics, it was quite hard to find the fire and the drive again for quite a long time, so it’s really nice to have something to really work towards every day.”
Australia’s paddlers will return on Tuesday for the canoe slalom heats, with the championships to run until Saturday.
AAP
