Jess Fox warms up for Paris Olympics with golden World Cup run
Jess Fox showed why she’ll head to the Paris Olympics favoured to win medals across all three slalom paddling events after making World Cup history in her final Games warm-up.
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Jess Fox has finetuned her Olympic preparations by becoming the first paddler in history to win all three slalom disciplines at a single World Cup event.
Fox, the defending Olympic champion in the slalom canoe, won the canoe, kayak and kayak-cross golds at the ICF World Cup in Poland at the weekend to underline her status as favourite in all three events at the Paris Games.
In the final warm-up event ahead of the Olympics, Fox won the K1 and C1 titles to notch 50 individual World Cup gold medals before winning the kayak cross ahead of the Czech Republic’s Tereza Kneblova and world champion Kimberley Woods of Great Britain.
“I feel incredible - this is so unexpected and I’m just so thrilled,” Fox said.
“Winning three gold medals in one weekend had never been done before. I can’t believe I’ve just done it.
“To be able to race well in all three categories doesn’t happen very often, I’m really pleased with how I was able to put together those races today.
“It has just been the perfect weekend, I couldn’t be happier.”
Kayak cross will be added to the Olympic program for the first time in Paris and while Fox is expected to be one of the favourites, she’s had to tread a fine line in the lead-up to the Games given the nature of the event.
With collisions a part of the rough and tumble event, there was some speculation the four-time Olympic medallist may curtail her kayak cross participation ahead of the Games in case of injury.
Unlike the streamlined kayaks that race down the individual slalom course, bulky, heavy plastic boats are used in kayak cross, with collisions plentiful and athletes using protective equipment to guard against injury.
“You never know what could happen, especially in the kayak cross. My strategy was just to try and get a good start and to stay clear headed throughout and make the right decisions,” Fox said.
The canoe slalom World Cup season will pause ahead of the Olympics, with Fox’s next event at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
“For me these last three weeks have been a stepping stone on my path to Paris 2024,” Fox said.
“We’ll head to France now and really focus on that final stretch before the Games.”
The 30-year-old, who will be competing at her fourth Olympics in Paris, is widely expected to be named Australia’s flag bearer for the opening ceremony.
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