Evy Leibfarth of United States claims bronze in women’s canoe slalom with father as coach

VAIRES-SUR-MARNE, France (AP) — Evy Leibfarth was sitting in third place in the women’s canoe slalom final with just one competitor standing between the American and a first Olympic medal.

Gabriela Satkova of the Czech Republic, the fastest finisher in the semifinals, could have knocked her off the podium. She faded in the middle of the course, though, allowing the 20-year-old Leibfarth to hold on and earn bronze on Wednesday.

As agonizing as the wait was for Leibfarth, it was even worse for her father and coach, Lee Leibfarth.

“To be honest, it was a little bit of disbelief,” he said. “It took me a second, like, ‘OK, this is really happening.’”

Evy Leibfarth said it was meaningful to medal with her father as her coach. He coached her in Tokyo when she finished 12th in kayak slalom and 18th in canoe slalom.

“It’s so special,” she said. “The coach/athlete bond, I guess, is already something really special. It’s the person that you trust the most in the world to kind of guide you on the path to your goals. That means so much. And for that person to be my dad — it’s so special to share these moments with him.”

Just three days earlier, she had failed to qualify for the kayak slalom final despite being fourth in qualifying. Lee Leibfarth said that disappointment probably helped his daughter focus.

“That may have actually motivated her a little bit,” he said. “She was very disappointed to not have made the finals in kayak when she could have had a very solid day there. But she really came back and put it all together in canoe. And I think that maybe that kayak day gave her a little more incentive to really push it today. And we got a great result.”

Evy Leibfarth said she didn’t think her time would hold up for a medal. But she already was celebrating a personal victory in conquering what she called one of the most difficult courses she’s competed on. She smiled through much of her race.

“If I’m being honest, I can’t really remember my run,” she said. “But I know that I had that feeling, like the good feeling on the water where I was just out there, and I was having fun, and I was enjoying the moment.”

As time progressed, Evy Leibfarth’s optimism grew. One by one, the competitors struggled, racking up penalties and seemingly getting stuck in the water.

Australia’s Jessica Fox took the lead from Germany’s Elena Lilik on the second-to last run, creating the chaotic final wait.

“It was just a crazy feeling to know that maybe I could get a medal,” Evy Leibfarth said. “And I think I just started ugly crying.”

Fox won the event for the second straight Olympics to claim her second gold of the games and the third of her career. Lilik finished second. Britain’s Mallory Franklin, who placed second in Tokyo, finished 12th and got a 50-second penalty for missing a gate.

It wasn’t easy for Leibfarth on Wednesday — she barely qualified for the final, taking the 12th and last spot. The circumstances actually put her mind at ease.

“I felt very calm at the start — surprisingly, because there’s so many people in the stands,” she said. “But I felt calm and I was just ready to give it my all. One of my big goals was to make it to the final. And since I already made the final, there was nothing to lose.”

The paddler from Bryson City, North Carolina could medal again — she will compete in kayak cross, with the final on Aug. 5.