The first gold medal for Germany! Ricarda Funk wins the canoe slalom and ensures the first major success at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.
Tokyo – Ricarda Funk won the first gold medal for Germany at the 2021 * Olympics in Tokyo. The 29-year-old from KSV Bad Kreuznach won the final in the canoe slalom in a single kayak with a 1.13 second lead over the 2016 Olympic champion Maiale Chourraut from Spain, who is now taking silver. Bronze goes to favorite Jessica Fox from Australia. She was considered a favorite. For Ricarda Funk it is the first ever Olympic participation.
The sports soldier managed an almost perfect final run. When her triumph was certain, the canoeist, originally from the Bad Neuenahr region, which was hard hit by the floods, clapped her hands in front of her head in the finish area. Tears flowed. The German slalom canoeists remain on the wave of success after their dream start with the bronze medal from Sideris Tasiadis. Funk also benefited from her success from two pole hits by top favorite Fox.
Summer Olympics in Tokyo
Olympia 2021: medal table at a glance
Olympia 2021: Ricarda Funk wins the first gold for Germany in the canoe slalom
The Augsburger by choice had held back with concrete medal ambitions before the race. “I dream of sitting at the start line at the Olympics and then having THE run,” said the 29-year-old. Even in the preliminary stages, the European champion from 2018 underlined her top form with second place. In the semifinals, she kept her nerve after two pole contacts in the upper part of the tricky course and ultimately qualified for the finals in third place despite four penalty seconds.
Ricarda Funk missed the Olympics in 2016. At the world championships she was second and third in the individual, but it was not enough for victory. Until her perfect day in Tokyo. The lightweight snaked through the gates with strength and elegance and showed no nerves. (lrg / sid / dpa) * fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
