Funk wins the kayak slalom gold in the Olympics

Ricarda Funk, Germany, has won the Women’s K1 Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. In second place, Maialen Chourraut from Spain while Australian Jessica Fox took bronze.

Germany’s athlete Ricarda Funk has surprised the audience by winning the gold medal in the women’s kayak slalom. The favourite was Jessica Fox, who slipped to the third position when she touched two gates on the final run. 

The new Olympic champion Funk took the lead from the defending gold medalist Maialen Chourraut with a time of 105.50. Chourraut had already won three medals at the Olympic Games and is the athlete of most age to win an Olympic medal in this category. 

Chourraut had won the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games and the spanish athlete finished in 106.63 seconds while Jessica Fox crossed the finish line at 106.73. 

Fox, the top-ranked paddler in the world, had to settle with the third spot as she struggled from the start when she touched the fourth gate of 25 for a 2-second penalty. She battled through the course and was ahead of Funk but she again touched gate 24 and earned another penalty. 

Funk has won the competition in the Kasai Canoe Slalom Center. Now athletes have to refocus for the C1 racing in the canoe slalom. 

Full results of the Women’s Slalom K1 at the Tokyo Olympics

Final results and times of the K1 Women’s Slalom category at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are as follow: 

1. R. Funk (GERMANY) 105.50
2. M. Chourraut (SPAIN) 106.63
3. J. Fox (AUSTRALIA) 106.73
4. S. Horn (ITALY) 106.93
5. K. Zwolinska (POLAND) 108.98
6. L. Jones (NEW ZEALAND) 110.67
7. M. Wegman (NETHERLANDS) 111.33
8. V. Us (UKRAINE) 111.85
9. E. Mintalova (SLOVAKIA) 158.36
10. K. Woods (GREAT BRITAIN) 177.09