Noemie Fox of Australia reacts with sister Jessica Fox (right) during the Paris Olympics at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium - Whitewater, Vaires-sur-Marne, France. - Reuters
PARIS (Reuters) - The Paris Games were a triumphant homecoming for the French-born Fox sisters, who returned to Europe in the colours of Australia and grabbed a stunning sweep of the women's canoe slalom titles at the Paris Olympics.
Jessica Fox, a seasoned Olympian, told Reuters the experience has been pure joy despite seeing her dreams of a third gold medal dashed when her younger sister Noemie triumphed in the kayak cross after beating her older sibling in an earlier heat.
"To be able to achieve what we have together has been a dream come true. We couldn't have scripted it. It was just too good to be true," she told Reuters.
Jess grabbed the gold in the kayak and canoe slalom events, and the sisters, who trained together for the kayak cross, were well-prepared for the possibility of competing against each other.
Jessica said it was thrilling to watch Noemie in the kayak cross final.
"It was amazing seeing my sister racing and just screaming and cheering the whole way down," she said.
"At the end, I jumped in (the water) because I was just overcome with excitement and emotion for her."
Kayak cross, a new addition to the Paris 2024 Olympics, features a dramatic drop into the water followed by a head-to-head sprint down the white-water course that features both upstream and downstream gates, and plenty of thrills and spills.
"You're allowed to push each other with your kayaks and try to overtake," Fox explained. "I think the spectators loved it because it's a bit unpredictable."
Born in Marseille, the significance of competing in France added a dimension to their Olympic journey.
"It's so special being in France, being in Paris. These games were always going to be special for our family," the 30-year-old said.
"Bringing together our Aussie and French cultures and celebrating that has been unbelievable," she added.
(Reporting by Jenna Zucker, additional reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Toby Davis)
