‘Wasn’t meant to be’: Jess Fox won’t dwell on missing her golden Olympics dream

Jess Fox may have missed her golden opportunity in the canoe slalom at Tokyo 2020, but Australia’s canoe queen says she’s still “very, very proud” of her third Olympic podium, no matter the heartbreaking circumstances.

The Aussie sweetheart finished third in women’s kayak (K1).

Fox was a heavy favourite coming into Tuesday’s event, but her penalty-trimmed 106.73 time wasn’t enough to clinch her Olympic gold medal dream. Maialen Chourraut (106.63) finished ahead of her, while outsider German Ricarda Funk — ranked third in the world — came away from the rapids with Tokyo gold thanks to a blistering 105.50 pace.

“Bronze medal in the kayak event today,” Fox said after the final K1 race. “It was a fight to the finish, and I’m so proud to be on the podium for a third time.”

The 27-year-old, who scored bronze in Rio and silver in London, admitted it was “disappointing” to miss gold, but said she was thrilled: “Would have loved to grab the gold, but it wasn’t to be.”

Fox started strong, but copped a two-second penalty (touch) on gate four. The medal favourite rallied to clear the next eighteen gates, before a second penalty at gate 22 sliced her time again.

“A bit of disappointment to not put down the dream run,” the world champion canoeist admitted, “but it is a relief to be on the podium. To make it [on the podium] with a mistake…  I’m proud of that. I learned a lot from today.”

Fox entered the finals as the fastest K1 qualifier.

In the final, only 1.23 seconds separated the top three, with Fox’s heartbreaking gate 22 penalty the difference between a second bronze, and that elusive Olympic gold.

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“I just fought the whole way down, and I think that’s something I’m really proud of, the fight to the finish,” the 27-year-old medal hopeful told the Australian Olympics team. “It was hard work the whole way, sometimes you feel like you’re on top of the water and flowing really nicely, and other times you’re just fighting. 

“The heats and the semis were exactly how I wanted to race, and I was really pleased with that paddling. And then in the final, it’s a bit of a blur because you’re in your race so you don’t remember everything.

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Fox added she was excited to learn from the loss, even if it stung: “I’m sure when I watch the video I’ll see where I made my mistakes and take my learnings into my next races.”

The Aussie canoeist has little time to rue on her missed K1 opportunity either; the Marseille-born star returns to the rapids this afternoon in the C1 heats. The two-day Tokyo event marks the premiere of C1 races at the Olympic games.

“It is exciting to be able to race in the C1,” she said.

“I sort of have to put [K1] to bed, clear my mind. Obviously I want to get through each round, through each phase, and get to the final and then anything can happen.”

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