Jessica Fox wins extreme slalom event at world championships

Aussie golden girl Jess Fox has won another world title in a brand new event that could be her ticket to even more Olympic glory.

Olympic champion. World Cup champion. And now world champion.

Three impressive titles in three different events in three months. Is there anything Jessica Fox cannot do?

The incredible Ms Fox has completed a stunning haul of achievements that will be remembered in her sport for a long time after winning the Extreme Slalom K1 event at the world titles in Bratislava on Sunday.

The shock victory in the exciting multi-racer format event comes after she secured the World Cup title in the K1 slalom a few weeks ago and her Olympic triumph in Tokyo when she secured the gold medal in the C1 slalom.

Fox also won the Olympic bronze medal in the K1 slalom in Tokyo, and with Extreme Slalom set to join the Olympic program at Paris 2024 the 27-year-old Penrith paddler could be chasing a historic three gold medals in France in three years.

Jessica Fox, pictured in action during the Tokyo Olympics, has added another world title to her achievements. Picture: Luis Acosta / AFP

But in sport where even the slightest touch of the gates incurs a time penalty, Fox knows nothing can be taken for granted on the water.

It’s why she was so shocked to win the Extreme Slalom gold medal. She’d battled through the disappointment of missing the final in both the K1 and C1 events earlier in the weekend after time penalties knocked her out of contention.

But she had no such dramas in the frenetic Extreme Slalom final where four paddlers race simultaneously down the rapids on standardised plastic kayaks, bumping and fighting to beat each other through the gates and upstream sections, before completing a compulsory eskimo roll and racing to the line.

In the end Fox won the final by several boat lengths to end what has been an astonishing year with perhaps her most surprising result.

“It wasn’t my weekend this weekend in either the kayak or the canoe, so I just wanted to have fun in the extreme and it felt great to be out there,” Fox said.

Jessica Fox has rounded out a super season with a world title win. Picture: Sandra Montanez/Getty Images

“I did enjoy it. Obviously, with the Olympics I was focused on the kayak and canoe and I didn’t want to take risk with injury. But I think that got me ready for this race.

“It was exhausting, mentally as well, because I had good runs and it just comes down to centimetres and a tiny bit of precision, and it’s a huge penalty and you’re out.

“I’ve had an amazing season, and this is a great way to finish.”

Interestingly the world championships was somewhat of a breakthrough for Fox’s younger sister, Noemie, who finished sixth in the C1 final.

If Noemie can keep progressing like Jess, the Fox duo could be in for a French Olympic medal feast.

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