Paris Olympics: Brodie Crawford, Tim Anderson on course to join Jess Fox, canoe slalom Oceania titles

Paris-bound Jess Fox picked up two titles and there was double delight for a paddler who moved states to chase an Olympic dream at the Oceania Canoe Slalom titles. News, result wrap

Amanda Lulham

@amandalulham

2 min read

January 29, 2024 - 8:20AM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Paddler Brodie Crawford at the Oceania champs. Picture: JGR Images

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Paris-bound Jess Fox picked up a pair of Oceania titles as expected while a paddler who moved states to pursue his Olympic dream qualified Australia an extra event in Paris and put himself at the front of the queue for a ticket to France.

While Olympic champion Fox's K1 and C1 wins at the Oceania canoe slalom titles in Penrith on the weekend were predictable, less so was the result of the men’s C1 on Sunday.

Brodie Crawford, a paddler who relocated from his Western Australian home to Penrith and the nearby whitewater training base six years ago, has shot into the box seat to race in Paris after his second place in the C1 final - which also earned Australia a quota spot at the Games.

“There was a bit of pressure with the No. 1 job to qualify Australia a spot,’’ said Crawford, who runs a kayak tour business at Penrith and is also completing a physiotherapy degree.

“But I also really wanted to put pressure on everyone else with potentially just one or two more (selection) races to go.’’

Paddler Brodie Crawford at the Oceania champs. Picture: JGR Images

Czech athlete Lukas Rohan won the C1 men’s race.

Earlier, another paddler who moved from his home in Victoria to train at Penrith, also raced into pole position to join Jess Fox - the only athlete so far selected in whitewater at the Paris Olympics.

After missing the Rio and Tokyo Games, Tim Anderson’s resolve and determination now looks to be paying off.

Olympic champion Jess Fox competing at the Oceania championships. Picture: Supplied

After finishing as the best placed paddler in the K1 at the Oceania canoe slalom titles on the weekend with an equal fourth place finish, Anderson will go into the Australia Open final selections this coming weekend in pole position to make the Paris Olympic team.

Anderson and teammate Ben Pope were the only two Australians to make the K1 final with fancied Lucien Delfour missing out in a major setback for the Tokyo Olympian.

Tim Anderson competing at the Oceania championships. Picture: JGR Images

“It’s awesome. I can’t explain how good it feels to have the pressure off,” Anderson said.

Prskavec clocked a time of 92.66 seconds with Anderson finishing joint fourth with French paddler Martin Dogoud.

Olympic selection is based on previous World Cup results, last year’s world championships and selection races.

Fox and Czech Olympic champion Jiri Prskavec won the K1 crowns on day two of the 2024 Canoe Slalom Oceania Championships at Penrith Whitewater centre.

Fox produced a blinder (101.09 seconds) to beat Polish silver medallist Klaudia Zwolinska and her sister Noemie Fox. It was Fox’s first race of the year.

She backed up with a win on Sunday in the C1 racing against a strong international field.