Jessica Fox has maintained her post-Rio form in another canoe slalom conquest at the Oceania Championships in Auckland, to be selected on the Australian team to race World Cup events and the World Championships in France in October.
With the pressure off to make the team, the 22-year-old former Blaxland High student can enjoy the competition at the Australian Open in Penrith from February 17-19.
“I am already selected so I have less pressure for this race but at the same time I want to race well and challenge for the win,” Fox said.
“There will be some international athletes here as well who are spending the summer here for training so it will good to race the Europeans.”
Fox dominated at the Oceania Championships on January 30, taking the women’s C1 (single canoe) title 13 seconds ahead of fellow NSW paddler Ros Lawrence.
That followed a win in the women’s K1 (single kayak) despite a two second penalty. Fox finished a second clear of France’s Nouria Newman, and well ahead of New Zealander Luuka Jones at 10th, who beat Fox to the silver medal in Rio.
Fox was excited to focus more on the C1 this year, since its introduction to the 2020 Olympic program.
“As K1 was the Olympic event it had previously been the priority with C1 only once or twice a week, but I'm excited to increase my C1 load and keep finding ways to improve,” she said.