Fox will be joined by Tasmanian Daniel Watkins, who is contesting his first Olympic Games and will be the first Australian on the Tokyo Olympic canoe slalom start line when racing starts at 1 p.m. local time with the men’s canoe single.   

Two heats are scheduled in both the men’s C1 as well as the women’s K1 on Sunday, with the faster time of the two runs giving the qualification result to progress through to the next round.  

In the men’s canoe single, 15 out of the 18 entries will progress through to the men’s C1 semi-final on Monday (26 July 2021), while 20 out of the 24 entries in the women’s kayak will have the chance to qualify for Tuesday’s (27 July 2021) semi-final ahead of the top ten final on the same day.  The first Olympic canoe slalom medals will be decided on Monday in the men’s C1 with the women’s K1 final to follow on Tuesday.  

At his first Olympic Games, Watkins (race bib number 12) has his eyes set on the final and in Sunday heats, he will contest two runs at 13:15 and 15:23 local time. 

“I would really like to make the final.  That’s where everything unfolds and happens and I would like to get a crack at that,” Watkins, who is a proud Tasmanian, said about his expectations for his first Games.  

“I’m a huge fan of my home state and it’s an awesome feeling and I’m so proud to represent Tasmania here in Tokyo.” 

As the current world number one in the women’s K1, Fox will be wearing the number one race bib and will be the last paddler to go down the course in the first run of the women’s kayak at 14:55 local time and at 17:03 in the second heat. 

It is the third Olympic competition in the women’s K1 for the triple Olympian and two-time Olympic medallist and after silver at London 2012 and bronze at Rio 2016, the three-time K1 World Champion has her eyes set on a medal once again.  

"I feel really prepared and excited to be here, and I just want to do Australia proud, and put down the best runs that I can,” Fox said ahead of Sunday’s racing.  

"The venue is beautiful and the course is amazing.  We came here in 2019 for the test event and they've made some changes since then, so we were all pleasantly surprised with the improvements they made to the venue.  Everyone is just grateful and really appreciating the opportunity to be here.” 

The purpose-built Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre has been one of the hottest venues at the Games with water temperatures ranging close to the 30C mark.  

"The heat will be one of the main things to manage because it's really challenging out there and the conditions are quite harsh, but being Aussies I think we should be used to that and cope well." 

“We know the Olympics is more draining and exciting and overwhelming in some cases, but I think I've been well prepared coming into a third Olympics – I think I know what to expect.  It'll be about managing each run, day by day, going through each stage, each process.” 

For the first time, Jessica Fox will have the chance to go for two Olympic medals with the women’s canoe single (C1) to premier on the Olympic program and with the women’s C1 heats to start on Wednesday, 28 July 2021 together with the heats in the men’s K1. 

"It's the first time that the women's canoe event will be on the Olympic programme, which is huge for our sport to finally have the gender equality and equal number of men and women.  

“It's an amazing opportunity to be able to do both events.  We fought really hard to get to this point in my sport as women, so I am really proud to be the representative of Australia in the first women's C1 Olympic event and it's a big honour for all the women who fought for us to be in this position,” Fox said.  

A record 34 countries will contest the canoe slalom, including the previous best of 30 countries set at both the Rio and London Olympic Games.  Fox will be amongst the more than ten women, entered in both the kayak and canoe competitions with the women’s canoe single (C1) added to the Olympic program for the first time.  

Racing will take place at Kasain Canoe Slalom Centre from Sunday, 25 July through to Friday, 30 July 2021.  The women’s events will conclude with the women’s canoe final on Thursday, while the men’s kayakers will wrap up the Olympic canoe slalom competition on Friday.  

Race Schedule and Australian Start Times  

Sunday, 25 July 2021 

Men’s Canoe Single (C1) Heats 1^st and 2^nd Run | 1 to 15 to Semi-final, rest eliminated 

• 14:00 – 14:42:30 AEST – 1^st Run 
• 16:08 – 16:50:30 AEST – 2^nd Run 

Daniel Watkins (AUS), MC1 

• 14:15 AEST – 1^st Run 
• 16:23 AEST – 2^nd Run 

Women’s Kayak Single (K1) Heats 1^st and 2^nd Run | 1 to 24 to Semi-final, rest eliminated 

• 14:50 – 15:55 AEST – 1^st Run 
• 16:58 – 18:03 AEST – 2^nd Run 

Jessica Fox (AUS), WK1  

• 15:55 AEST – 1^st Run 
• 18:03 AEST – 2^nd Run 

Monday, 26 July 2021 

Men’s Canoe Semi-final and Final 

• 15:00 - 16:00 AEST Men’s Canoe Semi-final
• 16:45 – 17:22 AEST Men’s Canoe Final

Tuesday, 27 July 2021 

Women’s Kayak Semi-final and Final 

• 15:00 – 16:12 AEST Women’s Kayak Semi-final
• 17:15 – 17:52 AEST Women’s Kayak Final 

Wednesday, 28 July 2021 

Women’s Canoe Single (C1) Heats 1^st and 2^nd Run 

1 to 18 to Semi-final, rest eliminated 

• 13:50 – 14:42:30 AEST – 1^st Run 
• 16:00 – 165:52:30 AEST – 2^nd Run 

Jessica Fox (AUS), WC1  

• 14:42:30 AEST – 1^st Run
• 16:52:30 AEST – 2^nd Run 

Men’s Kayak Single (K1) Heats 1^st and 2^nd Run 

1 to 20 to Semi-final, rest eliminated 

• 14:50 – 15:47:30 AEST – 1^st Run
• 17:00 – 17:57:30 AEST – 2^nd Run 

Lucien Delfour (AUS), MK1 

• 16:40 AEST – 1^st Run 
• 17:50 AEST – 2^nd Run 

Thursday, 29 July 2021 

Women’s Canoe Semi-final and Final 

• 15:00 – 15:54 AEST Women’s Canoe Semi-final 
• 16:55 – 17:32 AEST Women’s Canoe Final 

Friday, 30 July 2021 

Men’s Kayak Semi-final and Final 

• 15:00 – 16:00 local time Men’s Kayak Semi-final 
• 17:00 – 17:37 local time Men’s Kayak Final