Champion paddler Jessica Fox can scarcely believe she is being named alongside her nation’s alltime great Olympians after creating her own piece of Australian Games history with a stunning gold in the C1.

It could hardly be more deserving.

Coming on the back of her breakthrough K1 triumph, Fox stormed to another commanding win at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium whitewater course on Wednesday.

The gold was Australia’s seventh of the Games.

Fox became the first Australian athlete to win six individual Olympic medals, overtaking swimmers Shane Gould, Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones, sprinter Shirley Strickland and current chef de mission, cyclist Anna Meares, who each have five.

Ariarne Titmus also joined the elite group, winning her fifth individual in Paris.

“They’ve (records) never felt attainable or even something that I could possibly dream about,” said Fox, who is also now the most prolific Olympic medal winner in her sport.

“Each Olympic experience that I’ve had has been very different – some have been brilliant, some have been a bit disappointing and this is just magical.

“But to be named amongst some of Australia’s greatest champions in Olympic history is just – I can’t quite believe it.”

The 30-year-old Sydneysider is chasing more history, seeking a golden treble in Paris as she attempts to join Gould, in 1972, as the only Australians to have won three individual gold medals at the one Olympics.

With the addition of canoe cross to the 2024 program, the France-born Fox will start hot favourite to achieve the rare feat on Monday.

Already the most successful female canoe slalom athlete of all-time, Fox now owns three gold, a silver and two bronze from four Olympic campaigns after making her debut in London 2012.

Like her emphatic victory in Tokyo, when C1 was added to the program, Fox swept the field.

Germany’s former world champion Elena Lilik set the pace, stopping the clock on her clean run at 103.54 seconds.

Second last on the course, Fox produced a sizzling run, with a time of 101.06 seconds including a two-second penalty for clipping a gate.

She knew immediately she’d done something special, slamming the water with her hands in delight.

“I was just proud of that run … I felt like I did my best today,” Fox said.

“I can’t wait to watch the video … those kayak and canoe runs were runs that I was really proud of.

“I think it was the mental state that I was in, how calm I felt despite the pressure, despite the expectation, despite the time that Elena Lilik had put down, which was two seconds faster than the semi-final time, which was already quite fast.

“To be able to stay composed is the coolest feeling as an athlete –  when you’ve worked so hard at training, to be able to pull it off when it matters.

“That’s what we all work towards for that one day every four years.”

When her victory was confirmed after the last competitor Czech Gabriela Satkova completed her run, Fox was swamped by her mother and coach Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi and her younger sister Noemie, who will compete in the kayak cross.

Young American Evy Leibfarth took bronze with a time of 109.95 seconds.

Matildas knocked out

The Matildas have been put of their misery after a woeful Olympic campaign, their medal dream evaporating in the south of France after a dispiriting defeat by the USA.

A tough inquest will doubtless now begin following the comprehensive 2-1 loss in group B to the Americans on a sweltering night in Marseille.

It condemned Australia’s World Cup semi-finalists to a second tournament defeat and their earliest Olympics exit since 2000.

Yet with only four of the 12 teams to be eliminated in the group stages, Tony Gustavsson and his Matildas had been still left clinging on to hope later on Wednesday night they might sneak into the knockout stages as one of the two best third-placed group finishers.

That reprieve was denied them when reigning champions Canada, still in disgrace after being docked six points for their drone-spying exploits, beat Colombia 1-0 in Nice.

The Canadians’ progress in itself will surely cause some outrage but nobody could say the Matildas merited a place in the last-eight after a calamitous tournament that started with them having the luggage mislaid en route to France and really never got much better.

Gustavsson’s own role as coach must now be in serious question after such a tame exit that was only enlivened in the final minutes of stoppage time against the Americans when they managed to pull a goal back through Alanna Kennedy after being dominated for most of the night.

The Swede had set out his side in a defensive formation designed to stifle the bright American attackers and sneak the point that would see them into the last eight.

They were largely outclassed by Emma Hayes’ US side, just as they had been schooled 3-0 by Germany at the Stade de Marseille a week ago.

The USA’s Lindsey Horan comforts Ellie Carpenter after the Matildas’ loss. Photo: Getty

In between, Australia showed real heart in a freakish 6-5 comeback win over Zambia but that only showcased their defensive frailty.

On Thursday (AEST), they improved in that area in the first half against the Americans, who had won both their previous games but, starved of possession, created precious few chances and were reliant on some fine keeping by Mackenzie Arnold to keep the US at bay.

She made one blinding point-blank save to keep out a Lindsey Horan header in the 40th minute, but the Matildas were finally undone by a controversial goal just before halftime from Trinity Rodman.

The Matildas’ defence couldn’t cope with an inswinging corner headed across goal by Sophia Smith and then dithered fatally while the pink-haired Rodman pounced at the far post.

A 10-minute VAR deliberation then took place to check on a possible obstruction, complicated by the referee’s communication system not working.

Eventually, after more than five minutes of nonsense during which Gustavsson was booked for complaining, the goal stood.

Frustrated Steph Catley reacts in the tense match. Photo: Getty

It got no better for the Aussies after the break, with a brilliant Korbin Albert shot in the 78th minute putting the Americans deservedly two up.

Typically, the Matildas only woke up when all seemed lost. Alanna Kennedy foraged forward and ended up getting on the end of a nod down from substitute Michelle Heyman to bundle a goal back after 91 minutes.

With six minutes more of stoppage time still to be played, the Matildas chucked everyone forward – including Arnold at a last-gasp corner.

When Kennedy missed a golden chance, not quite getting her head to an Ellie Carpenter cross, the dream was over.

-AAP

-AAP