Excellent start for NSWIS Canoe Slalom athletes

Canoe Slalom paddlers from the NSW Institute of Sport kicked-off the 2019 Olympic qualification season in style winning one gold, two silver and one bronze medal at the 2019 Sydney International Whitewater Festival over the weekend (15-17 February 2019).

Dual Olympic medallist and 2018 double World Champion Jessica Fox (NSWIS) took home the win in the women’s C1 on Sunday, continuing her unbeaten run in the boat class she won five World Cups, the overall World Cup as well as World Championships gold in last year. The NSWIS athlete also won a silver medal in the women’s K1 on Saturday (16 February 2019). Noemie Fox (NSWIS) also finished on the podium in the C1, taking bronze.

Rio 2016 Olympian and 2018 World Championships silver medallist Lucien Delfour (NSWIS) added another silver medal to the Australian medal tally of four when he finished second in Sunday’s men’s K1 final which was won by Great Britain’s Rio 2016 Olympic champion Joe Clark.

The 2019 Canoe Slalom Australian Open as part of the 2019 Sydney International Whitewater Festival, was a successful return to international competition for Jessica Fox following her historic season last year when she wrote canoeing history and became the most successful individual canoe slalom paddler of all time.

“This the first event of the season for me and to take a win was really cool” said Fox after the race.

“It was a fast race, I saw the times before starting so I knew I had to lift my game a little bit.

“I had a penalty on that main wave, so I really had to make sure the rest was perfect.

“I think I just got in front of Ana, so I am really pleased with that run and Noemie and Kate raced really well in the final too.

“It’s a great little squad that we’ve got, our girl gang. I think I’m really proud of them, they’ve been training really hard and they’ve raced really well. It’s never easy to race selection and to deliver it when you have to, so to see them lifting it and making the final with some good runs and that’s really good to see”.

NSWIS athletes will line-up again at the start line next weekend for the Oceania Championships and is hoping for a big crowd to come and cheer on the Australians as they again take on the best of the world on their home course once again.