Tokyo Olympics: Team GB’s Mallory Franklin claims silver in the women’s slalom

Team GB canoeist Mallory Franklin agonisingly misses out on gold in the women’s slalom but claims silver after Australia’s world No 1 Jessica Fox storms through to become Olympic champion

Team GB canoeist Mallory Franklin settled for a silver medal in the women’s slalom at the Tokyo Olympics after Australia’s world No 1 Jessica Fox stormed through to claim the gold medal.

Franklin, registered an impressive time of 108.68, has become just the second British women to claim a medal in the Olympic event.

The 27-year-old is a former world champion and multiple medallist at all levels but had been denied a shot at Olympic glory before the category was included for the first time here. 

Mallory Franklin claimed a silver medal in the women’s slalom after a terrific performance

She navigated her way through some tricky turns as she stormed to the top of the leaderboard

She navigated her way through some tricky turns as she stormed to the top of the leaderboard

And she took her chance superbly, posting a brilliant run and navigating some tricky turns before facing a nervy wait to find out if she had become Olympic champion. 

She had watched all her rivals fail to overtake her until hot favourite Fox took to the water last. Fox delivered on her promise as she powered across the course with a time of just 105.04 in an impressive display that was more than deserving of a gold.   

The Australian, widely considered the best individual female paddler in history, had never managed an Olympic gold but she did not put a foot wrong.

But Australia's Jessica Fox simply had too much for her with the world No.1 racing to claim gold

But Australia’s Jessica Fox simply had too much for her with the world No.1 racing to claim gold

Franklin told the BBC: ‘I’ve had a bit of a struggle in my finals this year so to be able to put down a run of that quality is amazing for me.

‘It’s amazing to have the medal and I think that can mean so much to people and I hope people see C1 women now as an event that is really high class, there was some amazing paddling.’

Asked about her prospects for Paris in three years’ time, Franklin added: ‘I’ve got kayak as well to think about and hopefully I’ll be in Paris in both boats, but right now it’s just about celebrating and getting home to do the kayak selection next weekend which is a bit crazy.’ 

Fox celebrates winning her first ever gold after a near-flawless performance on Thursday

Fox celebrates winning her first ever gold after a near-flawless performance on Thursday

Frankin was satisfied with her run to claim silver and said it felt 'amazing' to earn a medal

Frankin was satisfied with her run to claim silver and said it felt ‘amazing’ to earn a medal

Helen Reeves, who took bronze in the K1 in Athens in 2004, was Britain’s only previous medallist. 

Franklin, from Windsor, had qualified fastest from the heats but a mistake on an upstream gate during her semi-finals saw her through to the final in sixth.

The four paddlers before her all posted disappointing times but Franklin was smooth and fast from the start, with her only mistake coming when she picked up a two-second penalty for hitting gate 15.

She took gate 19, which had caught her out in the semi-finals, perfectly and crossed the line with the second fastest time of the competition, marginally outside her heat run.

Advertisement