SYDNEY, February 27, 2020 - Australia’s Penrith Whitewater Stadium, the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games competition venue for the canoe/kayak slalom events, officially launched the 2020 season of international competitions with the Australia Open ICF ranking race which was held from 21 to 23 February. Interests between European and Oceanian athletes were different, with the former working on specific winter preparations and the latter fighting for the Olympic Games.
The number one protagonist once again was the daughter of art Jessica Fox who dominated both kayaking and canoeing. Her duel with long-time rival Ricarda Funk ignited many hearts and it became obvious that this clash is one to watch from now until Tokyo 2020. If the German has lightness and physical power on her side, that leads her to fly over the water, the Australian has elegance and determination to reach the last real medal that is still missing: the five-circle gold! If everything goes in the right direction in Japan, the 26-year-old Fox, born in France but adopted at a very young age in the land of the kangaroos, will be able to come out with two successes that would qualify her for the solemn Olympus of sporting immortality.
During the final, Jessica Fox did not spare herself and kept cutting corners again and again, especially during ascents, just like a fox, to keep honour to her name. The result was stratospheric. Ricarda Funk settled for second having touched a door more than necessary, accumulating four penalties.
The music during the canoe race had only one melody and it was that of Jessica Fox. No rival. Not even the world champion Herzog could stop her. The home champion enjoyed a breath-taking win with raised hands and her only goal now is to get ready for the end of July when there will be a lot at stake.
In the men’s canoe and kayak events, there were two protagonists for the qualifying and semi-finals, both from the Czech Republic, which had a very large team of athletes in Penrith. Lukas Rohan won the qualifying and semi-final in C1 but lost in the most delicate part of the event, finishing tenth in the race won by Slovenian Benjaimin Savsek.
Savsek, the 2017 world champion and 2019 European champion, who returned to Australia after 8 years of absence, had a difficult start in the first two qualifying heats and then qualified for the final in his third try. The Slovenian champion then rediscovered brilliance in his action just when he needed it, that is, in the final part of the track where he made the real difference.
In second place at 2.88 was Czech Lotha and in third place at 3.24 the Australian Watkins, who with this bronze will now officially wear the Australian jersey for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
In the men's kayak race, Jiri Prskavec won the qualifying and semifinal and then slipped to sixth position in the final. In the final there were 4 athletes from the Czech Republic, 2 Italians and a representative from Australia, France, Slovenia and Switzerland. The host Lucien Delfour had the upper hand, leaving Giovanni De Gennaro 0.83 behind him, with Prindiz at 2.64 in third, Peter Kauzer (4th) and Zeno Ivaldi (5th)
At the end of the races, many athletes remained on the Australian field to complete their preparation before flying back to Europe where the selections to enter the different national teams await them. While the Australians took a few days of recovery before fully resuming training with the sole purpose, at this point, of preparing for the Olympic Games that is right around the corner.
