Aussie Noemie makes it a Fox family affair with kayak cross gold
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Australia's gold medallist Noemie Fox celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony after the women's kayak cross final.
PHOTO: AFP
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PARIS – Australian slalom kayaker Noemie Fox knows what the gold medals at the Olympics look and feel like after seeing her sister Jessica win three of them, and on Aug 5 she finally got one of her own as the first Games kayak cross champion in history.
The 27-year-old younger Fox sister somehow managed to avoid the chaos associated with the thrilling new Olympic discipline to add kayak cross gold to the canoe and slalom golds Jessica had already won in Paris, giving the Fox family a clean sweep of the women’s canoe slalom titles at these Games.
“It feels surreal. It’s crazy that it’s mine, you know – experiencing Jessie’s gold medal moment in Tokyo, and then the two golds she won here, and you know how much hard work and effort she’s put into that, I think you don’t really dare to dream this big,” Noemie said.
Jessica, 30, missed the racing on Aug 5 after being drawn in the same heat as Noemie a day earlier.
Rather than the one-two finish that would have seen the pair progress, Jessica was eliminated, leaving it to Noemie to carry the flag for the family at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
“When I knocked her out she said ‘take it all the way’, and I know that she’s such an incredible sportsperson and the most humble human. She supported me the whole way and really wanted the best for me,” Noemie added.
But she still had to see off the challenge of the likes of French hometown favourite Angele Hug, who came second to secure the silver, and Britain’s world No. 1 Kimberley Woods, who took bronze.
“It was really just focus on your race, focus on your race, it doesn’t matter what’s happening behind you... and when I saw in the last stop that I was first, it was pure joy. There’s no words to describe the feeling,” Noemie said.
New Zealand’s Finn Butcher, meanwhile, won the men’s final.
Top-ranked Briton Joe Clarke had to be content with silver after getting caught up in traffic early on, allowing Butcher to move ahead, where he stayed until he crossed the finish line for a victory that was as thrilling as it was unexpected.
“It’s crazy. I don’t believe it yet. Once I got out in front and turned in front, I was like, ‘no way’. Those guys are so good. I’m proud to be the champion. The first one – that’s pretty sick,” an elated Butcher said.
Germany’s Noah Hegge took the bronze. REUTERS, AFP
