Want to see paddling perfection? Check out Australian phenom Jessica Fox’s winning kayak run at the World Cup finals in the Czech Republic — which earned her, as in 2018, both the K1 and C1 overall World Cup titles.
“Forget pound-for-pound or any other qualifier you might use—this is one of the best runs I’ve ever seen,” notes three-time World Cup Champion Scott Shipley of S20 Designs.
Watch winning run here: https://www.facebook.com/SPORTS.SMS/videos/421719038456944/?t=113
Fox held on by her fingernails to both claim canoe slalom gold and wrap up the overall season titles on the final day of competition at the ICF world cup in Prague on Sunday. .
Fox once again proved her dominance of women’s canoeing, taking the C1 gold medal to add to the K1 she won 24 hours earlier. It also meant that, like 2018, she won both the K1 and C1 overall world cup titles. .
But she only just held on to win on Sunday, positing a time 0.04 seconds quicker than Great Britain’s Kimberley Woods in the C1. Czech Tereza Fiserova was third.
“I think every race has been pretty tough and challenging, and I think after yesterday’s win, it was such a big win for me, so I wanted to come back today and go through the process again and stay grounded,” she said. “It wasn’t perfect, and it was a fight to the finish. My goal is always to put down my best runs, not win the overall world cup, that’s a bonus of doing consistent races. It wasn’t the perfect season like last year, but I’ve learned so much from every race that I’ve done.The competition in the C1 category is getting better and better, the girls are hungry and improving a lot, it makes me really proud to be in this category.”
Fox finished well ahead in the overall standings, finishing with 312 points to Brazil’s Ana Satila on 225 to make it three C1 titles in a row. Fiserova was third on 222 overall points.
Download the women’s C1 medal runs here
Czech Jiri Prskavec sent his home crowd into similar raptures for the men. After 14 world cup finals without a win, Prskavec sizzled down his home course in front of a capacity crowd to take his first world cup title in three years, relegating Czech teammate Vit Prindis to second, and Frenchman Boris Neveu to third.
“It’s finally happened, it took me three years, but it was amazing to win in front of my home crowd, where I grew up,” Prskavec said. “It feels amazing, I have grandmothers and Aunts and so many people from my family here, so it’s special that I gave them something back..
“It also feels special to be overall winner again. I don’t know how many other paddlers have won two in a row, so it’s a special moment as well.”
Germany’s Sebastian Schubert is the only other athlete since 2000 to successfully defend a men’s K1 overall world cup title. Slovenia’s Peter Kauzer was second and Prindis third.
Download the men’s K1 medal races here
RESULTS WOMEN’S C1
- FOX Jessica (AUS) 113.95 (2 seconds in penalties)
- WOODS Kimberley (GBR) 113.99 (2)
- FISEROVA Tereza (CZE) 118.39 (2)
MEN’S K1
- PRSKAVEC Jiri (CZE) 90.67
- PRINDIS Vit (CZE) 93.20
- NEVEU Boris (FRA) 94.18
OVERALL WORLD CUP FINAL RESULTS WOMEN’S C1
- FOX Jessica (AUS) 312 points
- SATILA Ana (BRA) 225
- FISEROVA Tereza (CZE) 222
MEN’S K1
- PRSKAVEC Jiri (CZE) 319 points
- KAUZER Peter (SLO) 266
- PRINDIS Vit (CZE) 262
Find all of Sunday’s results here
Bonus: Jessica Fox Biography!
General Interest
She broke her arm in 2005 doing gymnastics, which she subsequently gave up to focus on canoeing. (CanoeKayakTV, 13 Feb 2011)
She was presented with the 2013 Female Athlete of the Year award by the New South Wales Institute of Sports [NSWIS] in Australia. (portnews.com.au, 22 Nov 2013)
She won the 2012 Young Athlete of the Year award at the New South Wales Sports Federation Awards in Australia. She also received the 2012 People’s Choice award from Canoeing Australia, and was named the 2012 Junior Athlete of the Year by the NSWIS. (canoe.org.au, 12 Feb 2015)
She was named the 2011 Athlete of the Year by Canoeing Australia. (canoe.org.au, 12 Feb 2015)
She became the first female slalom paddler to win gold medals in both the C1 and K1 at a world championships, which she achieved at the 2014 edition in Deep Creek Lake, MD, United States. (australiangeographic.com.au, 22 Sep 2014)
HERITAGE
Her mother is French and her father is from Great Britain. She was born in France but arrived in Australia in 1998, at age four, when her father was offered the role of coach for the Australian canoe slalom team ahead of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. “I’m a bit of the three. I was born in France so I have my roots there but also in England. I’ve pretty much grown up in Australia so I guess I’m a bit more Australian but I like to think that I have all three in me.” (CanoeKayakTV, 13 Feb 2011; redbull.com, 21 Jun 2015)
SPORTSMANSHIP
In 2010, she took part in the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, and not only won a gold medal in the K1 event, but bonded with her fellow medallists – Pavlina Zasterova [silver] from the Czech Republic, and Viktoria Wolffhardt [bronze] from Austria – during a celebratory dip into Marina Bay. “On the podium, the three of us hugged and jumped into the water together. When we started the race, it was each one for herself, but at the end, we were together. That is sportsmanship.” (straitstimes.com, 05 May 2016)