Bassett claims surprise slalom medal as Fox falls short
Joanna Guelas |
Kaylen Bassett has snared Australia’s first medal at the slalom world championships, overcoming strong winds to claim bronze in the men’s canoe finals.
But star paddler Noemie Fox was in tears after a ninth-placed finish in the women’s finals at Penrith Whitewater Stadium on Thursday.
French heavyweight Nicolas Gestin clocked 97.13 seconds to claim the men’s C1 gold, followed by Great Britain’s Ryan Westley.
Bassett, 28, trailed Gestin by 1.61 seconds to be third out of the final 12 competitors.
The Melbourne product was the fifth paddler to set a time and endured a nervous wait for a podium finish.
“Oh, it was horrible. I know they call it the kiss and cry zone, but I call it torture,” Bassett told AAP.
“I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel like there was some sort of expectation to perform.
“But I really tried my best to kind of almost be selfish and just really appreciate he moment of what this all means.”
Having competed internationally since 2021, Bassett’s bronze medal is his best finish at a world championship.
Bassett was the only Australian man to reach the finals after placing eighth.
Ben Ross and Tristan Carter finished 20th and 27th, respectively.
Carter copped a 50-second penalty for missing a gate, while Ross struggled in windy conditions on debut.
Bassett was thrown into the water by teammate Carter in celebration of his podium finish.
Fox also placed eighth, setting a time of 116.78 seconds, in the semi-finals to make the final 12.
But she couldn’t improve her pace, with Poland paddler Klaudia Zwolinska taking the women’s C1 gold in 108.49 seconds.
Alsu Minazova was second, followed by Brazil’s Ana Satila.
Fox couldn’t hide her disappointment when she crossed the finish line, trailing Zwolinska by 3.94 seconds.
“I’m very frustrated, you know, I’ve let all the emotions out,” Fox said.
“It was great to be in the world championship final and then just a little mistake on the vision and the wind and everything.
“The swinging gates were hard to manage, but felt really great out there.
“I probably felt the strongest in C1 and that’s why I’m extra frustrated and sad.”
Top seed Gabriela Satkova and fellow competition heavyweight Kimberley Woods also struggled, finishing seventh and eighth, respectively.
AAP
