By Philip O’Connor
PARIS (Reuters) – Australia’s Jessica Fox saw her dream of a third Olympic canoeing medal dashed on Sunday as she was edged out at the final upstream gate in her kayak cross heat on Sunday, eventually coming fourth to crash out of the competition.
Her younger sister Noemie won the heat, however, with Maialen Chourraut of Spain taking second spot to qualify for Monday’s quarter-finals and sending the older Fox, who is reigning world kayak cross champion and won gold in both the canoe and kayak slalom events in Paris, and Martina Wegman of Netherlands out.
“For the world champion to be knocked out before the quarter-finals, I think that really is a testament to the level of the girls,” younger sister Noemie said.
With all four racers being dropped onto the 210-metre course at the same time and then flailing away through downstream and upstream gates to the finish, there was plenty of drama at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
Britain’s Joe Clarke got the proceedings underway in the men’s heats, and the world number one wasted no time when his boat hit the water, a few quick powerful strokes of the paddle giving him a lead he kept until the very end.
The second men’s race produced the first big physical battle, with Manuel Ochoa’s hopes sunk by Irish paddler Liam Jegou, who barrelled into him at the final upstream gate and knocked him down into fourth position and out of the competition.
Pedro Goncalves of Brazil suffered a similar fate in his race as he was upended at the first upstream gate and then penalised for not rounding it properly, resulting in fourth place and an early exit.
In the women’s heats, Britain’s Kimberley Woods had another strong showing and Brazil’s Ana Satila survived a late scare as they made it through to Monday’s last 16.
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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