A new discipline joins the Olympic program in canoe slalom as kayak cross is set to make its debut in Paris.

The head-to-head competition provides exciting action with four paddlers going at it to get down the course the fastest. The format lends itself to chaos, creating a wide-open field with dark horses everywhere that could come out of nowhere to medal. 

Meanwhile in the individual disciplines, Australia's Jessica Fox is seeking to become the most decorated paddler in Olympic history. On the men's side, Jiri Prskavec (CZE) is also looking to make Olympic history, but Great Britain's Joe Clarke -- who will be shooting for a double in the K-1 and kayak cross -- stands in his way to set up an epic battle. 

Those are just some of the headlines entering competition, which gets underway on the first day of the Olympics. 

Fox made her Olympic debut in London 2012 at just 18-years-old and left those games with a silver in the K-1 discipline, then returned to the K-1 in Rio but settled for bronze.

In Tokyo, Fox announced herself as arguably the best paddler in the world by taking gold in the inaugural Olympic C-1 competition and bronze in the K-1. She also put herself in position to make history at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she can become the most decorated person in Olympic canoe slalom history if she picks up two or more medals. She was also named as one of Australia's flag bearers for the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

Fox will have three chances for history as she is competing in the C-1, K-1 and kayak cross in these Olympics and looks more poised than ever to capture that elusive gold in K-1 to complete her Olympic resume. 

She could also make history if she takes gold in the C-1 and K-1 by becoming the first man or woman to take gold in both disciplines in the same Olympics. A medal of any color in the K-1 would make her the most decorated woman in that discipline in Olympic history with four medals. 

Who can stop Fox's pursuit of history? Here is a look at the field for the women's individual canoe slalom events. 

K-1 Preview 

Ricarda Funk (GER) is the defending Olympic champion and likely the biggest threat to keep Fox from capturing that elusive Olympic gold. Funk is a two-time K-1 world champion in 2021 and 2022, but Fox took that title away from her in 2023. 

Other contenders include Klaudia Zwolinska of Poland, who finished third in the 2023 World Cup standings and could become the first Polish woman ever to win a medal in Olympic canoe slalom. 

Stefanie Horn (ITA) finished eighth in Rio and fourth in Tokyo in the K-1 and this may finally be the year she finds herself on an Olympic podium. 

Another paddler looking to make history is Maialen Chourraut of Spain, who is competing at her fifth Olympic games in Paris. She, like Fox, could become the first woman to win four medals in K-1, but unlike Fox, Chourraut is an outside contender for a medal.

The lone American in the field is Evy Leibfarth of Bryson City, North Carolina. She will be competing in all three disciplines in Paris, but K-1 is her weakest event. 

C-1 Preview

If Fox grabs a medal in the K-1, which is first on the schedule, then the C-1 will be her chance to set the Olympic record for medals by a male or female in canoe slalom with six. 

Her toughest competition should come from Great Britain's Mallory Franklin, who finished behind Fox to take the silver in Tokyo. She actually beat Fox in the C-1 at the 2023 World Championships by 0.89 seconds to take her first world title since 2017, but has struggled for form since. 

Ana Satila (BRA) is another versatile paddler like Fox who will be racing in all three disciplines and the C-1 is her best chance to medal. 

Perhaps the most interesting competitor to Fox is Andorra's Monica Doria Vilarrubia, who could win the country of just around 80,000 people its first ever Olympic medal -- summer or winter. 

The C-1 will be the best chance for Team USA's Leibfarth to win a medal in Paris, but she is still a longshot to do so. 

Jiri Prskavec could become the first man to defend a K-1 title at an Olympic Games and the first with three medals in the event in Olympic history. 

The C-1 is anybody's game as just three of the nine world championship medalists from this Olympic cycle have made it to the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Can anybody catch Prskavec? Who are the favorites to come out on top of a wide-open C-1 field? Here is a look at the contenders in the men's individual canoe slalom disciplines.

K-1 Preview

Prskavec's biggest competitor for K-1 gold is Joe Clarke of Great Britain. Clarke was the gold medalist in Rio 2016, but was passed over in Tokyo for his teammate, Bradley Forbes-Cryans, who finished one spot ahead of him at the 2019 World Championships. Now Clarke is back and seeking what he calls "redemption" as he looks to stand atop the podium in both of his Olympic appearances, and deny Prskavec history. 

Giovanni De Gennaro (ITA) is making his third Olympic appearance but has come up empty at his first two Games. This will be his best shot to win a medal as he is in tremendous form, winning the 2024 European Championship and a World Cup event this year. 

Slovenia's Peter Kauzer is making his fifth Olympic appearance and is shooting for his second Olympic medal to pair with his silver medal from Rio 2016. At 40-years-old, Kauzer could become the oldest man to ever win a canoe slalom medal in Olympic history and is a legitimate contender to do so after a great start to the 2024 season. 

Mathis Soudi of Morocco became the first African paddler to ever win a world championship medal in canoe slalom when he won bronze in 2023. He could be a longshot, but if he keeps up his great form he could turn himself into one of the stories of canoeing at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

C-1 Preview 

Another Slovenian, Benjamin Savsek, is the favorite for C-1 gold again after he took Slovenia's first ever canoe slalom gold in Tokyo. Savsek has made the quite the turnaround, after came up empty in his first two Olympics and said he would have likely retired had he not won gold in Tokyo. Four years later he is looking to become the first man to defend Olympic C-1 gold since Athens 2004. 

Slovakia's Matej Benus has never won an individual C-1 event at any major competition, but did take silver in Rio 2016 and is a medal contender once again in Tokyo. Slovakia is the all-time leader in C-1 medals, thanks to the legendary Michael Martikan's five, and Benus is looking to take over the mantle from Martikan as a dominant force in the event. 

France could tie Slovakia for all-time medals in men's C-1 if Nicolas Gestin is able to crack the podium over Benus. He has a good chance to take a medal on home soil after finishing third at two World Cup events in 2024. 

Adam Burgess is another member of Team GB that could make some noise at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Great Britain dominated the last World Championships when it won eight medals, and Burgess is a big-time contender in the C-1 to add the country's Olympic total of 10 canoe slalom medals. 

Team USA's lone male representative in any canoe slalom discipline is Casey Eichfeld of Drums, Pennsylvania. Eichfeld finished seventh in Rio and looks to be an outside contender for a medal.

Fans of chaos are going to absolutely love the brand-new kayak cross event. Every single World Cup stop in the 2023 season saw a different man AND woman take home the win in kayak cross. 

If there is one paddler on the women's side that has been the most consistent, it is Great Britain's Kimberly Woods, who made the podium at the last two World Championships. She also won the overall World Cup title in 2023, an extremely difficult feat considering the volatile nature of the event. 

Jessica Fox will of course be in the running but this is the one event where she is not the clear favorite. She was the world champion in 2021 and 2022, but finished outside the top-32 at the 2023 World Championships. She is always a threat, but is more likely to take a silver or bronze than a gold in this event. If she fails to medal in either the K-1 or C-1, kayak cross will be her last chance to become the most decorated man or woman in Olympic canoe slalom history. 

New Zealand's Luuka Jones nearly quit the sport after some major setbacks -- including a battle with long-COVID that she has made public -- but is back and in good form. She won the test event in Paris last year and finished second in the 2023 World Cup standings behind Woods.

France has two contenders to bring home a kayak cross medal on home soil in Camile Prigent and Angele Hug. Prigent finished second at the 2023 World Championships and 2024 European Championships, while Hug won the 2024 Kayak Cross Olympic Qualification event. 

Ricarda Funk (GER) and Ana Satila (BRA) are two contenders in other disciplines that also have good chances to find themselves on the podium in kayak cross. Both have better chances in other individual events, but have found good success in cross that suggests they could challenge for a medal. 

Team USA's Evy Leibfarth put a major emphasis on kayak cross in 2023 knowing the chaotic event could be her best chance at a medal. She is an outside contender, but anything can happen in kayak cross.

In an event with so much chaos, one man has managed to separate himself as the clear favorite in kayak cross: Great Britain's Joe Clarke. He has won three consecutive world titles in kayak cross and was the only man to be on the podium at three World Cup events in 2023. 

Switzerland's Martin Dougoud, who like Clarke is also a medal contender in K-1, is one of the most-likely paddlers to give Clarke a run for his money in kayak cross. Switzerland has been the dominant country in this discipline and Dougoud is its best chance at a medal. He finished third at last year's World Championships and second at the World Cup event in Augsburg. 

Despite missing out on a spot for K-1, France's Boris Neveu was able to earn a kayak-cross specific quota spot and is a top contender at these Olympics as a three-time world silver medalist. The 38-year-old took second at the 2023 World Championships and his teammate, Titoaun Castryck, is also a contender to add to France's medal count on their home soil.

Felix Oschmautz of Austria finished second at the 2023 European Games and third at the test event, suggesting he could have a great chance to earn a medal in kayak cross. 

Giovani De Genarrio of Italy will have a chance for a double medal in kayak cross if he is able to bring one home in the K-1. However, his best finishes recently are fifths at the 2022 World Championships and 2024 European Championships, so he has more of an outside shot at a medal in kayak cross.