In London it was silver. In Rio it was bronze. In Tokyo it was bronze. For so long, Olympic gold had eluded Australia’s slalom queen, Jess Fox. But after waiting four years between London 2012 and Rio 2016, and five years for Tokyo 2020, Fox only had to wait 48 hours for a fourth attempt at the top step on the Olympic podium.
Having fallen just short of gold in the women’s kayak slalom at three consecutive Olympics, the 27-year-old won the first women’s canoe slalom gold on Thursday. She was a fitting victor, having been an important part of the push for the discipline to be added to the Olympic programme.
Both genders have competed in the kayak slalom (K1), with a two-bladed paddle, since slalom became a permanent Olympic fixture at the 1992 Games. But while men have also contested the C1, with a single-bladed paddle and a different seat position, women had one slalom event. As part of the International Olympic Committee’s push for gender equality at Tokyo 2020, that changed. The program addition gave Fox the second chance she needed.
Fox is paddling royalty. Her parents were slalom world champions – her father, Richard, won 10 world titles for Great Britain, while her mother, Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi, won eight world titles and an Olympic bronze medal for France.
Still only 27, Fox has been winning slalom events since she was a teenager, coached by her mother. Over the past decade, she has won just about all there is to win in the sport: four junior world champion crowns, eight under-23 world titles, a Youth Olympics gold medal, 10 senior world championships. Silver in London. Bronze in Rio. Bronze in Tokyo.
Then, at long last, gold. At the Kasai slalom course, her mother came running to the waterfront, ecstatic with joy – and ended up taking a swim. “Fourth time lucky,” her father sighed with relief on television back home in Australia. “To deliver that performance, at that level, in that moment.”
It was certainly quite the performance. Fox qualified first for the final, recording a time of 110.59 seconds. An hour later, she would be the last canoeist out at the course. She waited and watched. When Britain’s Mallory Franklin recorded a lightning-fast time of 108.68, Fox’s hopes were dented. But when her turn finally came, the steely expression on her face said it all.
Fox said her father had sent her a text message on Thursday yesterday morning with final words of advice. “‘It takes courage, confidence and control,’” she said. While she waited to take on gate one, Fox repeated those words to herself.
Having been denied the gold medal on three occasions, Fox would not be denied a fourth. Her run was technically brilliant. At every time check, Fox was ahead. She cruised through the 25 gates, including the challenging upstream gates, without incurring any time penalties. She ducked and weaved through the furious water.
On more than one occasion her progress through a gate looked precarious – the spectre of the penalties that had hindered her on Tuesday loomed. But with a deft stroke here, an athletic torso manoeuvre there, Fox avoided calamity.
The speed with which she sprinted the final flatwater section showed she was not taking anything for granted. But any marginal time gains were ultimately unnecessary – Fox cleared Franklin’s time by three seconds.
On the medal podium a short time later, there was overdue exuberance. Fox jumped up and down before pointing to her green and gold mask and miming a smile.
Her victory was remarkable for the perseverance it underscored and the versatility it highlighted – among the 50 or so paddlers who entered the K1 or C1 categories, Fox was one of eight to tackle both and the only to win a medal in both.
“My parents have been amazing role models, amazing inspirations, amazing support for me,” she said. “Both being Olympians – mum winning bronze, Dad missing the gold because of a penalty, mum missing the gold because of a penalty – I think we’re all pretty emotional about these penalties. So to win today – it’s a win for them. It’s a win for our whole family.”
When Network Seven put father and daughter on air together, separated by 8,000km but united by a love of canoeing and each other, the emotion was tangible. “I can’t wait to show you this one, Dad,” she said.
