Jessica Fox to miss final World Cups after kidney tumour surgery

Jessica Fox, the 31-year-old Australian canoe slalom champion, announced Thursday that she underwent surgery last week to remove a tumour from her left kidney and will sit out the final Canoe Slalom World Cups as she recovers at home. Fox posted the update on Instagram, saying the operation "went really well" and that she was "on the mend" after experiencing some post-surgery complications.

"Life update. I won't be competing in the final World Cups over the next couple of weeks. I'll be cheering from home instead," Fox wrote. She thanked medical staff, members of her support team and family, naming several doctors and the Norwest hospital nursing and physiotherapy teams in her post. Fox said she was "feeling positive, super grateful and happy to be home," adding that she was looking forward to "taking it easy over the next few weeks as I recover, and building towards being back on the water again."

Paddle Australia issued a statement confirming the procedure was successful and that Fox is recovering in good spirits. The statement did not specify whether the tumour was malignant. Some media reports described the growth as cancerous, but Fox and official communications did not...