Noemie Fox wins gold medal in kayak cross at Paris Olympic Games 2024
Noemie Fox has stepped out of the long shadow cast by sister and greatest paddler of all time Jess, to win her own Olympic gold in the kayak cross.
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Noemie Fox has spent a lifetime in her sister’s shadow but just seven words whispered in her ear by her greatest champion allowed her to step into her own Olympic spotlight.
Just 24 hours after eliminating older sister Jess, the woman regarded as the greatest paddler of all time in the kayak cross, Noemie wrote her own chapter in the family’s Games legacy, winning the inaugural Olympic gold in the category.
It came a day after Noemie and the eliminated Jess came together on the water following their opening heat, sharing an emotional embrace during which big sis provided Noemie with the impetus to step into her own spotlight.
“When I knocked her out, she said: ‘All right, take it all the way’, “ Noemie said of Jess’s reaction to her own chance ending in the event.
She didn’t need a second invitation. After settling her nerves in the opening time trial, Noemie won four races in succession to advance to the Olympic final, where she had a clean and intelligent race to come out on top.
Despite finding herself behind Great Britain’s Kimberley Woods off the ramp, Fox hit the front after heading in the opposite direction on the opening upstream gate and getting in and out cleanly to hit the front.
She then managed to negotiate the remaining gates almost perfectly despite the pressure of the chasers to come out on top to win the family’s third gold in Paris.
“It feels surreal. It’s crazy that it’s mine,” Noemie said.
“I experienced Jess’s gold medal moment in Tokyo and then the two golds she won here and how much hard work and effort she’s put into that.
“You don’t really dare to dream this big, but I really did this time and I dared to dream to get to the Olympics and then to get to that final.
“When I saw at the last up (stream gate) that I was first, it was just pure joy - there’s no words to describe that feeling - and the crowd just carried me through.”
The 27-year-old opened up about the pressure of growing up in Jess’s shadow and the decision to blaze her own path to the Games.
“There’s so much respect, there’s so much admiration (but) it’s always been hard with just one spot available for the Olympics,” she said.
“But when there were two, when there was that opportunity, she really helped me invest so much into my own campaign and my own self confidence, self worth, my ability to do so.
“I’m her biggest cheerleader, just like she’s mine. And so to be able to watch her win two gold and have that dream come true, I let myself live every emotion because I didn’t want to deprive myself from that and be so closed off for my race.
“It was just such a beautiful moment for our sport, for her and for our family and I knew she would be my biggest cheerleader once she was eliminated.”
Jess was absolutely that, running the course and screaming encouragement before leaping into the water to congratulate her sister, just moments ahead of mother and coach Myriam.
The Paris Games were always going to be a pivotal moment for Jess and Noemie - daughters of a French kayaking medallist and Olympic canoeing father - and the fact that each of them leaves with a medal that shines as gold as the Australian strip in which they took the podium, while having at their heart a little piece of France in the form of the Eiffel Tower, represents them perfectly.
Noemie knows there will still be plenty of talk about Jess. But she has now written her own legacy.
“I think there’ll always be that shadow. She’s the greatest of all time in our sport,” she said.
“That’s something (that) when I was starting out was really hard to deal with.
“But watching her win, it’s just such a privilege and an inspiration and it really fueled me.
“When someone like that really believes in you and tells you, ‘you’ve got it, you’ve got to go and get it’, that’s what you do.
“I got my moment and it’s my medal and we’re walking away with three gold medals in our family, which is insane.”
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Originally published as Noemie Fox wins gold medal in kayak cross at Paris Olympic Games 2024
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