Paddler Jess Fox fulfils destiny to finally win Olympic gold in her pet kayak slalom event
Jess Fox has finally captured the Olympic kayak slalom title - the one she always wanted - 12 years after taking silver in the same event as a teenager in London.
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If the best things in life are worth waiting for, Jess Fox’s fitting gold medal run in the land of her mother’s birth was the perfect moment. “It’s very special with this French connection,” Fox said.
Six Olympics, two generations, five medals and finally, the kayaking gold the Fox women have craved.
Her mother and coach Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi won bronze in this category for France at the Atlanta Games in 1996.
Jess snared a surprise silver in London at just 18 but since Rio in 2016, the woman widely regarded as the best paddler of all time has been chasing the top Olympic prize.
“To feel the energy from the crowd, the atmosphere and just the whole Olympic Games near Paris, the energy has been electric.
“I’ve been chasing this for a few years and my mum before me was chasing this gold medal in ‘92 and ‘96, so to achieve it in Paris was just very special for our family.”
For a moment, it looked as thought it might not happen.
After hitting a gate and getting caught up in an upstream section, Fox finished the semis in eighth place.
She was so close in Tokyo, setting the fastest time but being relegated to the bronze medal position after picking up two time penalties.
Her semi-final would have dredged up those memories.
A lesser athlete would have caved. But Fox thrived.
As the rest of Australia fretted over whether Fox could turn around her jittery semi-final performance, the ice cold champion was completing a Wordle.
“I just had to chill out. I watched the video (of the semi) for about 20 minutes and then I just did the Wordle of the day - 10 minutes and then got back into it afterwards,” she said.
“You never know how you’re going to feel for an Olympic final, it’s such a unique experience.
“There’s so much intensity and pressure … I was like, ‘this is good energy. I’m using it’ and I think I was calm and focused.”
Fox’s victory keeps the dream of a historic treble alive.
The defending Olympic champion in the canoe slalom and latest World Cup winner in the newly introduced kayak cross, which will be raced for the first time at the Games, she is the favourite in every classification and a genuine gold medal chance.
The personal accolades seem secondary to Fox though.
Having set the standard early with her finals run, Fox was forced into a torturous wait as competitors attempted to better her mark.
Watching the seven women after her attempt to chase down her time was “awful”, she said.
“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’,” she said of being fifth cab off the rank in the decider.
“But it just means that you got to come out and be the attacker and set the bar for everyone else to chase.
“And so that means the wait was long. Even though I was proud of that run and I knew it was a good run … you just never know and I was so nervous watching that.”
One after one they fell until Ricarda Funk was all that stood between Fox and gold.
When the German hit gate 19 - the same obstacle that had brought Fox undone in the semi - she clasped her head in her hands before jumping into the arms of Myriam.
“I failed to bring the gold twice in the two Olympics I competed in and I know how hard it is,” an elated Myriam said.
“So for Jess to do it here in this stadium with the family, with the friends that came in, with the family and friends that are in Marseille glued to the TV, it’s amazing.”
Fox was quickly embraced by sister Noemie - who will make her own Olympic debut in Paris - and eventually father Richard, another paddling Olympian, in one of the great moments of the Games.
“I don’t know what it means yet but it means everything to me right now,” Fox said.
“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 that has helped me to get here. “Today, to feel that energy from the crowd and also from everyone who was staying up late back home, I think it was just the perfect day for me.
“It didn’t start well but it finished really well and it was just magical.”
That finish was just the first chapter though in what Fox hopes can become a magical French trilogy.
“It was such a high to achieve this but it’s not over for me in the program,” she said.
“I’m going to try and come back to the process and … recovery becomes really important (including) emotionally and mentally. It’s about staying fresh too.”
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