The imposing Ferris wheel in Kasai Rinkai Park has stopped spinning, perhaps annoyed by the incessant metallic chirping of Tokyo cicadas, hidden in the tall grass.
However, the wheel of fate ended up tilting in the right direction for Jessica Fox: at the age of 27, after three medals in the kayak (two in bronze and one in silver), the Australian ended up covering herself with gold in canoe.
With 105.4 points (zero penalty), she beat Briton Mallory Franklin (108.68, 2 penalty seconds) and Germany's Andrea Herzog (111.13, 2 penalty seconds as well).
The French Marjorie Delassus took an unexpected fourth place and made an appointment in Paris in 2024.
To discover
The full Olympic program
The Olympic medal table
It seems fair that the great premiere of the women's canoe slalom at the Olympic Games, which replaces the men's two-seater canoe, crowns the most complete sportswoman in her discipline, capable of trustering the podiums both in kayak (seated, double paddle) and by canoe (kneeling, single paddle). With her eleven world titles and now four Olympic podiums, Jessica Fox is a monument of her sport, and a recognized personality in Australia where her smile is regularly featured in one of the magazines. The Australian has a lot to hold between her British father Richard Fox, a multiple world champion, and her French mother Myriam Jérusalmi, bronze medalist in kayak at the Atlanta Games in 1996, two specialists exiled in Australia before Sydney 2000 to transmit their knowledge.
People appreciate her because she is nice, smiling, she is very involved.
Myriam Jerusalmi
“
People appreciate her because she is nice, smiling, she is very involved.
She is an athlete representative on the Australian Olympic Committee, she is involved in the campaign for the 2032 Games (now awarded to Brisbane).
She is passionate, receptive to everything, it is a pleasure to coach her,
”explains her mother.
On the water, balanced in her carbon boat, she turns into a relentless competitor.
His fiery gaze quickly provides information on his intentions.
“
Her father was nicknamed laser-eyes, she has the same blue eyes.
She is focus
», Notes his mother.
Thursday, all in fluidity, the silver medalist of London in 2012, at only 18 years old, did not give any chance to the competition on the demanding Olympic basin which turned over some boats for demonstrations of express eskimo roll.
Crossed the line, she hit the water with her hands, like a swimmer.
Graduated in Marseille
A gesture as if to evacuate the frustration of the kayaking event disputed on Tuesday where, although faster, she had left the title to the German Ricarda Funk because of two penalties (bronze medal in the final). This licensee from the Marseille club since her birth is a regular in the French basins, especially in the new center of Vaires-sur-Marne, where she was able to spend some time with her fellow kayaker Maxime Biazizzo (not selected for the Olympics ) before flying to Japan. She will be able to salute in French the performance of Marjorie Delassus, only 31st in the world and finally at the foot of the Olympic podium. "
I only keep the positive, I tried not to put pressure on myself, to take only good vibes, and that was rather successful for me. Doing a round like that in the final of the Games is something I am proud of. I hope to continue like this and it will perhaps smile on me in Paris in three years,
”she said.
