'Proud of myself': Fox claims double gold at World Cup
Aussie superstar Jessica Fox has wasted no time cementing herself back on top of the paddling world after winning her second gold medal since returning from surgery at a World Cup event in Prague.
In the K1 final on Friday, Fox was briefly more than a second down on the time set by Klaudia Zwolinska, before absolutely tearing up the second half of the course to eventually stop the clock more than two seconds inside the Pole.
Jessica Fox returned to her gold-winning ways by winning the K1 event at a world cup meeting in Prague, Czechia. Romain Bruneau/Paddle Australia
“It’s unbelievable, I’m so happy, so proud, so grateful for all the support and all the cheers,” she said after her first World Cup race win since undergoing surgery to remove a tumour from her kidney nine months ago.
“It’s always a pleasure to race here, so to come out on top is a dream.”
Fox revealed last week that she had spent five days in the intensive care unit with a collapsed lung after undergoing surgery to remove the tumour.
After a two-month stint on the sidelines to recover, she returned to the rapids in preparation for the World Cup two months later.
Fox competed in the C1 discipline in Prague on Sunday (AEST), where she doubled down on her prior success and claimed her second gold medal of the meet.
Fox had claimed silver in the event just a week ago in Slovenia, but despite making a handful of mistakes including receiving four penalties in her second run, she powered through to record the fastest time and win in 121.01.
Martina Satkova finished just shy of Fox, with the hometown star claiming silver in 121.28.
“It was a really hard course, very physical, really technical and challenging moves,” Fox said after the C1 race.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time now and I need to trust myself and trust my skills. For me, it was a lesson in never giving up and staying composed and trying to hold it together until the finish.
“Even though I made that mistake and touched those gates, everyone battles so you don’t know what is going to happen.
“I am proud of myself for getting back in the canoe and to come out with a double gold is more than I could have hoped for.
“To be back out there, enjoying racing, back with this community and back on the podium is such a joy.”
Jessica Fox wins the women's canoe final. Sona Maleterova
The position of the gates has caught out a handful of athletes over the course of the World Cup in prague, with two gates in particular causing issues in the K1 final, but both Zwolinska and Fox navigated them without trouble.
Zwolinska set the time for Fox to chase, stopping the clock in a penalty-free 1:51.30.
Fox was 1.08 seconds down on the Pole at the first split after the fourth gate, and clawed back most of the deficit by the time she reached the second split after gate 10.
She was 2.43 seconds up in the third and final split after gate 18, and stopped the clock in 1:48.84 to go quickest by 2.46 seconds.
