SYDNEY (AP) — Triple Olympic gold medalist Jessica Fox has undergone surgery to remove a tumor from her left kidney and says she won't compete in the remaining and canoe-kayak World Cup this year.
“It’s been a whirlwind over the last few weeks, but I’m all good, just a couple of gnarly new scars, a bit less kidney," said the 31-year-old Australian who won golds in the K1 and C1 races at Paris in 2024 and the C1 at the previous Tokyo Olympics.
Fox is the first female canoe slalomist to win three Olympic gold medals and the most decorated of all time — men or women — with six Olympic medals.
"I’m feeling positive and looking forward to heading home, focusing on recovery, and then building towards being back on the water again,” the Marseille, France-born Fox added in a statement issued Thursday by Paddle Australia.
The statement, which did not reveal if the tumor was cancerous, said Fox's procedure was successful “and, while she experienced some post-surgery complications, she is now recovering well and in good spirits.”
Australian Olympic Committee president Ian Chesterman said it has has been a difficult time for Fox, her family and for her support crew.
“But the one thing we know is that Jess is an incredibly resilient person and she has faced this latest challenge with her renowned determination and fight, just as you’d expect," Chesterman said. "We will now be cheering for her to make a full and speedy recovery and are looking forward to seeing her back on the water.”
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FILE - Jessica Fox celebrates her sister Noemie Fox of Australia after she won a gold medal in the women's kayak cross finals during the canoe slalom at the 2024 Summer Olympics, on Aug. 5, 2024, in Vaires-sur-Marne, France. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
SHEFFIELD, England (AP) — It was Georgia's day at the European figure skating championships Thursday.
Skaters representing the former Soviet nation won the pairs gold medal and took the lead in the men's event at the championships, a key warmup for next month's Winter Olympics.
Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava recovered from a fall to win their first European title after silver in 2024 and bronze last year.
The Georgians had the lead from Wednesday's short program and, even though Metelkina fell on a triple toeloop, the rest of their free skate was strong to score 139.80 for a total 215.76.
The two skaters laid on their backs on the ice in relief after finishing their free skate, as Berulava pumped his fists and made a snow angel gesture.
The title defense of Germany's Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin ended with an erratic free skate. Hase fell on a throw triple loop and tumbled to the ice again when Volodin tried to lower her down from their final lift.
Hase seemed in pain as she waited for the scores, and then stunned to see that she and Volodin had scored enough to stay ahead overall of third-place Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko of Hungary, 203.87 to 202.56.
Georgian figure skater Nika Egadze edged ahead of two Estonian brothers to take the lead in the men's short program.
Egadze scored 91.28 points for the lead after starting his program with a bang, following up a quadruple salchow-triple toeloop combination with a quad toeloop.
That was enough to beat last year's silver medalist Aleksandr Selevko on 88.71 and his younger brother Mihhail on 88.28. Defending champion Lukas Britschgi was sixth for Switzerland.
Estonia is on track for more medals as Niina Petrokina leads the women's event ahead of Friday's free skate.
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Estonia's Aleksandr Selevko competes during the Men's Short Program on day two of the ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield, Thursday, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Georgia's Nika Egadze competes during the Men's Short Program on day two of the ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield, Thursday, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin compete during the Pairs Free Skating on day two of the ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield, England, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava compete during the Pairs Free Skating on day two of the ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield, England, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava compete during the Pairs Free Skating on day two of the ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield, England, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
