- Jessica Fox has won gold at the Olympic Games
- Australian legend claims first gold in K1 slalom
- He delivered under enormous pressure after a tough semi-final.
Jessica Fox won gold at the Paris Olympics.
The 30-year-old Australian flag bearer was bidding for an all-time record three gold medals at the Paris Games, with kayak slalom her first event on the whitewater programme.
And she swept her race in the early hours of Monday morning, soaring through the whitewater to clock an exceptional time of 96.08 seconds and put herself into gold medal position.
“That’s how you do it, with strength of mind and strength of paddle, she’s given everyone something to chase… it was neat,” commentator Dave Culbert said on Nine.
“I’m so proud of Jess… it’s the best final climb he’s ever done at an Olympic Games,” added his father, Richard Fox.
Fox had to wait patiently on the sidelines as the rest of the field entered the arena. Poland’s Klaudia Zwolińska made the Australian feel very bad when she finished her race, but she was just a second slower than Fox and took the silver.
The last competitor to challenge Fox was reigning champion Ricarda Funk, who made an incredible start to the first half of the course.
However, a 50-second penalty for hitting a gate sealed Fox’s fate as a gold medallist in Paris, with the strong German contingent in the crowd stunned by Funk’s failure.
Although she is the reigning Olympic champion in C1, Fox has won three medals in K1 at her three previous Games, but her best result is a silver medal in London in 2012.
Fox was attempting to win the K1, defend his C1 crown, and would also be seeking gold in kayak cross, a new addition to the Olympic programme in Paris.
After setting the fastest time in Saturday’s heats, Fox was below his best time in the semi-final on Sunday afternoon (local time) at the Stade Nautique de Vaires-sur-Marne.
He completed the course in 104.38 seconds, incurring a two-second penalty for brushing against gate number 19.
Reigning Olympic champion Ricarda Funk bounced back after two lackluster heats, the German clocking a time of 99.31 seconds despite also receiving a penalty.
Poland’s Klaudia Zwolinska was third fastest with 99.84.
The semi-final result means Fox will finish fifth in a field of 12 contestants in the final, with Funk finishing last.