Jessica Fox has celebrated a birthday gold medal in the Women’s K1 at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Prague.
Fox, who turned 28 on Saturday, said it was nice to return to the top of the K1 podium after winning bronze at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, and missing the final at the 2021 World Championships.
“It was challenging with the world championships, and with the Olympics winning bronze, but I won the overall world cup title in the kayak, so I knew it was there, I just had to pull it out in those runs,” Fox said.
“To do that today was awesome, I felt really good and really happy with how I delivered after that early mistake.
“I told myself to have a good start, be safe, and straight away I smash gate two. From there I just had to try and lift and push, and I made a little mistake in the middle, but I had an excellent bottom and I really gave it everything at the finish line. And I’m still stuffed.”
Reigning world champion Elena Lilik from Germany took the silver, with France’s Camille Prigent, one of only two athletes in the women’s final not to register a penalty, finished third.
Fox has now won 36 world cup gold medals in her career. She will compete again on Sunday for medals in her Olympic gold medal event, the C1, as well as in the new Olympic discipline for Paris 2024, the Extreme Kayak.
