'That was really mean': Jess Fox issues apology to dad Richard after 'savage' public swipe
One Australian family is flying out of Paris with three gold medals to hang up in the house – the same amount so far that all of New Zealand has earned in their country's City of Lights campaign.
Sisters Jess Fox and Noemie Fox, however, aren't the only Olympians in their Penrith household. They're not even the only Olympic medallists, with mum Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi winning bronze for France in K1 at Atlanta 1996.
As Jess, 30, very publicly pointed out after 27-year-old debutante Noemie's victory in the kayak cross on Tuesday morning (AEST), their "poor" father Richard Fox is the only one without an Olympic medal".
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That's a comment she's now issued a very public apology for almost 24 hours later, telling Allison Langdon and James Bracey in an exclusive interview at Nine's Trocadero studio: "I was pretty savage in my post yesterday. I thought that was really mean. Sorry Dad, you have a great résumé."
Jess Fox publicly apologised to her father when she and Noemie Fox stopped by Nine's studio in Paris. Nine
Indeed, Richard is a champion slalom canoeist in his own right - a 10-time world champion no less - and he famously calling all three of his daughters' gold medal runs in Nine's commentary box in Paris.
But if Paris 2024 was about one Fox family member in particular, Jess says it's Noemie.
It is the greatest joy seeing someone you love for achieving their dream.
"You couldn't have scripted it. It is a fairytale," Jess – who earned gold, silver and bronze medals across London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 – told Langdon and Bracey.
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"For us, I think the journey was about Noemie qualifying for the Olympics," she continued.
"That was such a win for the family for her, and then once she was here, it was for her to grab it."
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"When I didn't make it through the heat, we hugged at the finish," Jess explained.
"Because we were in the same race and I just said, 'Go all the way. You got this'."
As for Noemie, she says one day later, her dash to the top of the podium "still feels surreal."
"I haven't really slept. But it's... My gosh, it is amazing," Noemie said.
"It's been an emotional roller-coaster of the greatest joy of our life," Jess added.
Jess also explained what it was like seeing Noemie win after she herself crashed out of the kayak cross heat.
"It is the greatest joy seeing someone you love for achieving their dream," Jess said.
"For so many years, she's been the spectator, in the shadows, who didn't get the opportunity because I was the number one," Jess said.
"This year she had her opportunity. She seized the moment at [Paris 2024] to become an Olympic champion.
"I have had, you know, personal success, personal joy, but then seeing her achieve it's just ten-fold."
