NSW and Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) scholarship holder Jessica Fox has earned the right to be nominated to the Australian Olympic team following her performance in the heats of the Women’s K1 at the 2012 Oceania Slalom Championships in Penrith.

After finishing second in the Australian Open two weeks ago, her second place finish in the heats today meant she was the best Australian finisher in two of the three qualifying races for Olympic selection.

Fox’s time of 103.38 was almost four seconds better than the next Aussie, Victorian Sarah Grant (11th), with Ros Lawrence 13th and Kate Lawrence in 22nd place.

Fox, who won gold at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010, and the Junior K1 World title in the same year, will now have her name forwarded to the Australian Olympic Committee for nomination to the Australian team for London.

Fox was emotional after the race.

“I'm pretty relieved right now,” Fox said.

“I am happy, but I really hope this is the last time that only one girl can go to the Olympics for each country.

“It's just ridiculous that so many of us are that good that we can’t all go, but it's so cut throat that only one can.”

Beaten teammate Sarah Grant was rueing four seconds worth of penalties on her second run.

“I had a good second run but the course is a challenge and I couldn’t control penalties,” Grant said.

“The Olympics are pretty much over for me, but there are still five World Cup races to go, so my season is not over yet.”

The ‘Path to London’

Australia has already qualified 3 athlete quotas for the 2012 London Games.

The women’s K1 and men’s C2 boats have already gained an Olympic berth as a result of their 2011 World Championship results.

The K1 Men and C1 Men spots will be up for grabs at the Slalom Oceania Championships from the 24-26th February in Penrith. The highest placed eligible Oceania athlete following the finals will earn the remaining NOC quota.

Australia can qualify a maximum of 5 athlete quotas for the London Games.

For the purpose of selecting which athletes will be nominated to the AOC to fill these quotas, Australian Canoeing will conduct Nomination Trials in each Olympic event.

Canoe Slalom athletes will be nominated based on the following events:

Nomination Trial 1 - Australian Open, 10-12 February 2012, Penrith NSW
Nomination Trial 2 - Oceania Open, 24 February 2012, Penrith NSW
Nomination Trial 3 - Oceania Open, 25- 26 February 2012, Penrith NSW