Fox finally cracks kayak gold with stunning final run
Melissa Woods |
An emotional Jessica Fox has realised a dream in winning an elusive K1 Olympic gold medal with the champion paddler taking out the Paris final in commanding fashion.
Already considered the GOAT, the reigning Olympic title-holder in the C1 and world champion in the K1, Fox had won three medals in the kayak in her three previous Games but her best result was a silver medal in London in 2012.
The 30-year-old said the K1 gold was extra special.
“It’s been years and years of chasing this dream, of getting really close, of persevering and picking myself back up, of a lot of teamwork and love and gratitude for everyone who’s helped me to get here,” Fox said, with the gold medal draped around her neck.
“It was just the perfect day for me – it didn’t start well, but it finished really well and it was just magical.”
Her Paris gold didn’t come easy with the world champion only qualifying for the final with the eighth-fastest time.
That meant Fox was fifth down the course rather than last which is reserved for the quickest in the 12-athlete field – Tokyo Games champion Ricarda Funk from Germany.
But 30-year-old Australian absorbed the pressure and laid down a superb error-free run on the tricky course on Sunday afternoon at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
Stopping the clock at 96.08 seconds, it was clear she had produced something special with her mother and coach Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi punching the air with delight.
Her sister Noemie, who will compete in the kayak cross later in the week, jumped for joy, hugging other members of the Australian contingent.
Fox then faced a nervous wait as the remaining paddlers went down the course.
Poland’s Klaudia Zwolinska collected silver with a time of 97.53 while Great Britain’s Kimberley Woods won the bronze medal in 98.94.
Funk was closest to Fox at the halfway point, but her challenge ended when she incurred a 50-second time penalty for missing the fourth-last gate.
“I was last to start in Tokyo, so part of me was like, this is good, it’s different to Tokyo, that’s a good sign,” said Fox of her early run.
“It just means that you’ve got to come out and you’ve got to be the attacker and set the bar for everyone else to chase.
“Even though I was proud of that run and I knew it was a good run based on the semi-final time, you just never know.
“I was so nervous watching that and I just had my fingers crossed and tried to pray and do everything I could to just stay calm.”
The Australian flag bearer is chasing an unprecedented three gold medals at the Paris Games, with the slalom kayak her first event in the whitewater program.
As well as the breakthrough K1 victory, Fox will defend her C1 crown and also chase gold in the kayak cross which is a new addition to the Olympic line-up in Paris.
Fox’s father Richard, a multiple world champion, was part of the broadcast team in Paris commentating on his daughter’s run.
“Yes, she’s an Olympic champion in the C1 on debut in Tokyo but this is a traditional event,” he said on Nine.
“This is the one she wants to add to everything she’s got.”
AAP
