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Noemi Fox will join her Olympic gold medalist sister Jessica in the Australian canoe team for the Paris Games after a brilliant performance in kayak cross on the final day of the World Cup in Prague.
Fox, 27, had to compete in five events just to secure a place in the final in the Czech capital, where she came from behind to win the silver medal and an extra quota for Australia at the Paris Olympics.
France’s Angele Hugue won gold, while Great Britain’s Nikita Setchell was promoted from fourth to third.
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Jessica Fox, who won C1 gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, has already qualified for three different events in Paris.
It is now almost certain that Noemi will line up next to her in kayak cross, competing for the first time at Olympic level.
“It’s been such a long day,” Noemi said after claiming one of the three quotas on offer.
“I went step by step, I went through the time trial, I went through the first round.
“The goal was to do as many laps as possible and get to the finish and get on the podium.
“It’s been such a long road and I feel so grateful to have had the most amazing support team here with me.
“To be able to celebrate it and join the Australian Olympic team and join my sister, it’s so amazing and I’m so happy.”
The women’s kayak cross final in Prague on Sunday (Monday AEST) was stacked with Fox taking on the reigning world champion and former world champion.
But she managed to hold her nerve and give an answer when it mattered most.
“Paris has always been a distant dream and a dream that I wanted to grab onto, while staying a little bit rational knowing that there are so many steps to get to that day and where we are,” she said.
“It will feel a bit like a home Olympics, being half French and with such a huge family and fan base in France.
“To be able to line up with Jess and the other two Aussies Tristan (Carter) and Tim (Anderson) is just going to be so amazing and I can’t wait to start thinking about this trip.”
Fox’s mother and coach Miriam, who won a K1 bronze medal representing France at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, was overjoyed to have both her daughters in the Australian Games team.
“I feel ecstatic,” she said.
“It’s a dream, like Olympic gold for me, to have two girls in the Olympics.”
Jess proudly posted a series of photos of her sister on Instagram with the caption “She did it!” and crying emojis.
She also wrote “so proud” on an image of Noemi celebrating.
The full Australian canoe team for the Paris Games will be officially named in the coming weeks.
The next Canoe Slalom World Cup meet is in Krakow, Poland next weekend.
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