Jessica Fox makes strong start to year at Canoe Slalom Australia Open
A COUPLE of hours of racing and inform paddler Jessica Fox has managed to nab herself a couple of wins and a couple of spots on the Australian team heading to the world championships.
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A COUPLE of hours of racing and inform paddler Jessica Fox has managed to nab herself a couple of wins and a couple of spots on the Australian team heading to the world championships.
Fox, who won the K1 world title last year but was shock loser in the C1 event, was part of a major show of power by Australians in the C1 at the Canoe Slalom Australia Open, contested by numerous international and local paddlers at Penrith on Sunday.
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Fox lead home an all-Aussie sweep of the podium as she beat sister Noemie and Tasmania young gun Kate Eckhardt.
“We are all training partners so it was great to see us all do so well,’’ Fox said after the C1 win.
Her results at Penrith mean Fox will be able to defend her world K1 title in Rio later this year and also have a crack at regaining the C1 world crown.
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Australia’s top canoe paddler made an impressive start to the weekend championships event when she also claimed the women’s K1 ahead of world bronze medallist Ricarda Funk of Germany.
Also impressive was Tasmanian Eckhardt, who finished third in the event.
“It’s a good start to the year and to our selections,” Fox said. “For me the results means that I’m selected on to the team for the World Cup and the World Championships.’’
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Fox also praised the performance of young paddler Eckhardt.
“To see Kate Eckhardt on the podium is fantastic,” Fox said.
“She’s young, coming up and has now qualified for the Worlds and she raced
really well to earn that place.”