Paddler Jess Fox successfully defended her Olympic canoeing crown at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, achieving her second gold medal at the Paris Olympics and solidifying her status as one of Australia’s greatest athletes.
A Tense and Triumphant Final
In the final, Fox delivered a stellar performance, navigating the course in a blazing 99 seconds with just one penalty. The tension heightened as the last paddler, Gabriela Satková of the Czech Republic, took to the course. Despite an early penalty that put her off pace, Fox celebrated her victory from the banks, embracing silver medalist German Elena Lilik.
“I was just so happy with pulling out a good run and winning in that way,” Fox said. “If it had been second place she [Satková] would have deserved it. I felt like I did my best today, so the emotion was just happiness and joy in putting down my best race in the Olympic final. But then it was just like, it’s surreal, realising what I’ve been able to achieve so far, and being able to share it with everyone.”
Celebrating with Fans and Family
After the medal ceremony, Fox celebrated with several hundred fans on the opposite bank, many clad in yellow. She was joined by her father, Richard, a former Olympic canoeist for Great Britain, who left the Channel Nine commentary box to share the moment with his daughter, describing the achievement as “amazing.”
“I don’t know how she did it,” he said. “It’s a hot, sticky day, the course was sticky, it was a hard fight through the semi and there was this tension in the air on every stroke.”
High Praise from Officials
AOC president Ian Chesterman noted the impact of Fox’s performance on the world’s senior canoeing officials. “I had the officials of international federations saying perfect, perfect, perfect,” he said. “She’s just an outstanding human being, and people get that, they see it: her decency, authenticity, she’s a great leader. And then she’s all these incredible things on the field of play.”
Historic Achievement
Fox’s victory marked her as the first Australian to win six individual Olympic medals, surpassing Ian Thorpe, Leisel Jones, Shirley Strickland, and Anna Meares. She also joined the elite group of Australians who have won three individual gold medals, alongside legends like Ian Thorpe, Dawn Fraser, and Shane Gould.
Her brilliant run finished four-and-a-half seconds faster than any other paddler, reduced to two-and-a-half after a penalty for grazing gate 19. In her final strokes, Fox gritted her teeth, shouted, and splashed the water, aware her run was nearly unbeatable. Thousands in the stands roared in approval, and Fox responded with a heart sign and saluted the crowd.
A Different Victory and Future Prospects
Fox described this victory as more relaxed compared to her first gold three days prior, stating, “This victory was very different to my first gold three days ago and I felt ‘more calm and more relaxed’ compared to the kayak which almost made me nervous.”
She became the first paddler to win both canoe and kayak events in the same Olympics and is now aiming for a third gold in the kayak cross event, which concludes on August 5th.
“Kayak cross is a lot more physical, and to go all the way to the end there’s a lot of rounds, you’ve got to manage your energy for that,” Fox noted. For now, she is relishing her victories. “It’s really funny because my emotions – I thought I would just feel relief, but I just feel like ‘ah, so good’.”
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