Aussie kayak star Jess Fox wins bronze in the canoe slalom after complaining the wild weather made it feel like she was ‘paddling in bathwater’
- Aussie Olympian Jess Fox won bronze in canoe slalom final on Tuesday evening
- Earlier stormed into final with the fastest time in her semi final – 105.85 seconds
- The three-time K1 world champion yet to stand at the top of the Olympic podium
- The 27-year-old won silver in London in 2012 and bronze in Rio four years later
Two-time Olympic medallist Jessica Fox has finished with a bronze medal in the K1 canoe slalom final in Tokyo.
The 27-year-old from Sydney’s west, who was listed as a $1.45 favourite to win the event, earlier on Tuesday afternoon stormed into the final with the fastest time in her semi-final – 105.85 seconds.
A three-time K1 world champion, Fox is yet to stand at the top of an Olympic podium, winning silver in London in 2012 and bronze in Rio four years later.
She entered the competition as a strong favourite after posting a qualifying time of 98.46 seconds, some three seconds faster than her nearest rival, Germany’s Ricarda Funk.
A couple of time penalties proved crucial for Fox, who was shattered moments after the final.
Fox is pictured storming into the women’s K1 canoe slalom on Tuesday afternoon with the fastest time in her semi-final – 105.85 seconds
Fox, who hails from Penrith, said the wild weather in Japan made it tricky to manage the course.
‘It is like a bath. It is like paddling in bathwater,’ she said.
‘It is beautiful, it is an amazing venue, but the water is really quite warm, so it is all about the ice baths and the ice towels and as much ice as possible.
‘I mean it gets pretty warm in Penrith in Australia, but this is the warmest by far, for me.’
Fox’s parents are both Olympians.
Her father, Richard, competed for Great Britain in the K1 at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, finishing fourth and was a five-time world champion.
Fox’s mother, Myriam, competed for France at the 1992 Barcelona and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, winning bronze in Atlanta in the K1. She was a two-time world champion.
On Tuesday morning, swimming prodigy Kaylee McKeown continued the golden start to the games by Aussie women by winning gold in the 100m backstroke final.
She overtook Canada’s Kylie Masse in the 50m turn and was 0.19 seconds ahead of McKeown’s world record time but could not sustain that pace and the 20-year-old stormed home for victory.
Fox pictured during Tuesdau’s semi-final. She entered the competition as a strong favourite after posting a qualifying time of 98.46 seconds
Aussie swimming prodigy Kaylee McKeown earlier won her first ever gold medal, flying home to win the women’s 100m backstroke
McKeown’s gold is Australia’s third so far at the Tokyo Olympics after Ariarne Titmus and the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team
By winning the 100m title, McKeown became Australia’s first women’s backstroke gold medallist at an Olympic Games.
The nation had won individual events in every other stroke on the swim program, male and female.
But never women’s backstroke, not in 97 years.