Paris Olympics 2024: Noemie Fox emulates sister Jessica with gold medal in kayak cross event

Noemie Fox admits there was a time where she doubted whether she had the “key ingredients” for success possessed by her famous family as she strove to emulate their feats.

But those doubts were washed away in the white-water circuit in Paris as she followed the path of sister Jessica by surging to gold – and producing a piece of Australian Olympic history.

Noemie stepped out of her big sister’s shadow with an epic victory in the women’s kayak cross, adding to Jessica’s twin golds from last week with a stunning run in the final of the new Olympic event.

It marks the first time an Aussie pair of siblings have achieved individual gold medal success at the same Games.

Hot on the heels of Jessica’s twin gold medals last week, Noemie had her own moment to shine with victory in the new Olympic event - and it sparked a wild celebration as her big sister jumped into the water to congratulate her.

Noemie was overcome with emotion after shaking off Great Britain’s Kimberley Woods in the final, leaning back in her kayak and covering her face with her hands as she soaked in the moment - before her big sister got a soaking of her own.

An ecstatic Jessica jumped into the water to join in the celebrations at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium as Noemie came to grips with becoming a world champion.

“It’s still surreal. It’s crazy to think that this one’s mine,” Noemie said.

“I let myself live all of the emotions that come with watching your sister win gold, and then win gold again... it didn’t deplete me. It just filled me with inspiration and admiration, and then I went on to win my own race.”

Noemie’s sister Jessica has risen to become a household name as a three-time gold medallist and Australia’s flag bearer at these games, while mother Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi and father Richard Fox also had Olympic stints.

While describing Jessica as her “biggest cheerleader”, Noemie said she had questioned whether she could rise to the same heights as her famous family members. But she put those doubts to rest in a matter of minutes on Monday afternoon in Paris to etch her own name into Games folklore.

“It’s a great story for persistence and self-belief, and also self-confidence,” said Noemie, who helped eliminate Jessica from contention in the kayak cross heats a day prior.

“I think I never really thought I had the key ingredients that my family had.

“But to be so driven and so courageous as well... I gave it everything.”

Jessica said she was thrilled for her sibling as the pair now account for three of Australia’s 13 gold medals at the Games.

“It was incredible what she did today, to make it through each round with such composure and really good tactics,” Jessica said of Noemie on Nine.

“I’m so proud of her and I’m drenched because I jumped into the water. There’s so much emotion in this moment, it’s amazing.

“In that final I was so nervous, I wanted her to do a good race... and she nailed it, she was ahead from the first upstream and just held it together.

“Everyone was talking about, ‘Jess are you going to win three gold medals?’ No, because Noemi gets one of her own, and it’s absolutely incredible.

“She’s an Olympic champion and she has worked so hard for that. I’m so happy for her.”

As she had done in the lead-up races, Noemie made the second gate her key post in the final, overcoming an early deficit to Woods.

The 27-year-old was able to shake her rival for good at the sixth gate and never looked back before surging to a memorable victory.

The three combined gold medals mean that if the Fox family was a country, they would be sitting in equal 12th on the worldwide medal tally - alongside the likes of Sweden and New Zealand - after 10 days of Olympic competition.