Jessica Fox wins GOLD in Paris: Australian Olympic Games flagbearer gets campaign off to incredible start with slalom kayak victory

Jessica Fox has won Olympic Games gold in Paris.  

The 30-year-old Australian flag bearer was chasing an unprecedented three gold medals at the Paris Games, with the slalom kayak her first event in the whitewater program.

And she absolutely blitzed her run in the early hours of Monday morning, soaring through the white water to set an outstanding time of 96.08 seconds and put herself in the gold medal position.

‘That is how you do it, strong of mind, strong of paddle, she’s given everyone something to chase … it was clean,’ commentator Dave Culbert said on Nine.

‘I’m so proud of Jess… that’s the best last up stream she’s ever done in an Olympic games,’ her father Richard Fox added.

Fox had to wait patiently on the sidelines as the rest of the field took to the course. Poland’s Klaudia Zwolińska surely had the Aussie’s heart in her mouth as she nailed her run, but she was just over a second slower than Fox to sit in silver.

The final competitor to challenge Fox was reigning champion Ricarda Funk, with the German making an incredible start to the first half of the course in Vaires-sur-Marne.

However, a 50-second penalty picked up for hitting a gate sealed Fox’s fate as a Paris gold medallist, with the strong German contingent in the crowd stunned by Funk’s failure.

The Australian flagbearer absolutely blitzed the course on Sunday afternoon

She faced a nervous wait but her gold medal was sealed after Ricardo Funk made a huge error

The  reigning Olympic title-holder in the C1, Fox had won three medals in the K1 in her three previous Games but her best result was a silver medal in London in 2012.

Her Paris gold didn’t come easy with the world champion only qualifying for the final with the eighth-fastest time.

That meant she was fifth down the course rather than last which is reserved for the quickest in the 12-athlete field – Tokyo Games champion Ricarda Funk from Germany.

After completing her speedy run, Fox’s sister Noemie, who will compete in the kayak cross later in the week, jumped for joy, hugging other members of the Australian contingent.

The Australian flag bearer is chasing an unprecedented three gold medals at the Paris Games, with the slalom kayak her first event in the whitewater program.

As well as the breakthrough K1 victory, Fox will defend her C1 crown and will also chase gold in the kayak cross which is a new addition to the Olympic line-up in Paris.