Fox sisters win kayak gold at world championships
Australia’s women kayakers have won their first K1 team world championship gold with a near-perfect run at the Lee Valley White Water Centre in London.
Noemie Fox of Australia in action during the women’s C1 of the Canoe Slalom World Cup in Krakow, southern Poland, 19 June 2022. EPA/Lukasz Gagulski
In challenging conditions, sisters Jessica and Noemie Fox (NSW) and Tasmanian Kate Eckhardt were one of just two teams not to pick up any penalties. Their clean run was also a quick one that earned them gold.
It was a welcome return for Jessica Fox to the course in which she won Olympic silver in the K1 as an 18-year-old at London 2012.
Spain, with a single gate touch, took second, while Great Britain had the fastest raw time on the course, but two gate touches saw the home nation relegated to third.
The same Australian trio had also contested the women’s C1 team event, where a 50-second penalty left them 11th and last.
“It’s definitely a bit of an advantage, but we don’t get to practice teams all that often, especially compared to the other European nations,” Noemie Fox told Internationa l Canoe Federation Media.
“But we worked really well as a team, so to put down that run is truly special.”
Britain, France and the Czech Republic also picked up gold medals in the team events, which feature three competitors from each country racing down the slalom course together.
The Czech Republic won the men’s K1 while the canoe events were won by France (men) and GB (women). Australia men came 9th (C1) and 10th (K1).
The canoe slalom world championships, which also serve as qualifiers for the Paris Olympics, continue on Wednesday with heats in the men’s and women’s C1.
AAP
