Ricarda Funk of Germany won the women's kayak final at Tokyo 2020, followed by Maialen Chourraut of Spain and Jessica Fox of Australia.

TOKYO, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Ricarda Funk of Germany won the women's kayak at the Tokyo Olympic canoe slalom competition on Tuesday in the Kasai Canoe Slalom Center.

Funk finished the race in 105.50 seconds to claim the gold medal.

"It is crazy. I still can't believe it. It was my dream and now my dream is reality. It is amazing," she said.

It was Funk's maiden Olympic journey as she was not selected for the German team in 2016.

She recalled that it had been a hard moment for her in 2016. "(After 2016) I was fighting hard and kept fighting for five years, and now it is a gold medal."

Maialen Chourraut of Spain clinched a silver medal in 106.63 seconds, the third Olympic medal for her after a bronze and a gold separately in 2012 and 2016 editions.

"It is a very, very special moment. It was hard to arrive here; five years fighting, but then five years thinking that probably it is hard to do something special here," said Chourraut.

"My feeling is very, very strange. It is like I can't believe that this medal, this silver medal, is with me."

The bronze medal went to Jessica Fox of Australia in 106.73 seconds, an underperformance compared with her heat and semi runs.

She won the heats and semifinals and was tipped as the favorite to win gold medal. But in the finals, she was penalized four seconds for hitting two gates.

On reaction to coming third, Fox said: "All the emotions I think. Relief to be on the podium, a bit of disappointment obviously to not put down the dream run."

It was the third Olympic medal for Fox after a silver in London and a bronze in Rio.

Fox will also compete in the women's canoe competition, and the heats will take place on Wednesday.