Jessica Fox put on a brave face on Friday following reports that she has quietly split with her partner of nine years Mathieu Biazizzo.
The Australian Olympic champion, 30, was spotted touching down at Sydney Airport on the same day that news of her separation with Matthieu broke.
Jessica appeared to be in good spirits as she flashed a smile upon her return to Australia and waited for her vehicle outside the airport terminal.
For the outing, Jessica cut a stylish figure as she looked travel ready in black flared trousers and a fitted vest top.
She kept comfortable in a pair of simple black trainers and shielded her eyes with a pair of dark square shades.
Clutching her phone as she left the airport, Jessica kept her essentials in a large black leather handbag and wheeled a white suitcase alongside her.
Jessica Fox put on a brave face on Friday following reports that she has quietly split with her partner of nine years Mathieu Biazizzo
The Australian Olympic champion, 30, was spotted touching down at Sydney Airport on the same day that news of her separation with Matthieu broke
The world champion slalom canoeist carried a black jacket over her handbag as she got ready to head home following her travels.
Her sighting came as reports emerged on Friday that Jessica had split from her partner of nine years Matthieu, a fellow canoe competitor.
It was claimed that Jessica quietly broke up with the French athlete back in May prior to her gold-medal-winning performance at the Paris Olympics.
The couple are said to have ‘simply grown apart’ because of the long periods they had to spend apart while pursuing their respective sporting careers, reported the Daily Telegraph.
The couple have been dating for almost a decade and Jessica recently hinted that she was keen to start a family with Matthieu.
‘There’s always a bit of competition, especially if we’re training together,’ she told Stellar in February 2023.
‘It is really special to be able to share that together. And the fact that he understands what I’m going through. It also helps that we go to bed early together.
‘Maybe there’ll be an opportunity to see if I want to have a baby and come back,’ she went on.
Jessica appeared to be in good spirits as she flashed a smile upon her return to Australia and waited for her vehicle outside the airport terminal
For the outing, Jessica cut a stylish figure as she looked travel ready in black flared trousers and a fitted vest top
She kept comfortable in a pair of simple black trainers and shielded her eyes with a pair of dark square shades
Clutching her phone as she left the airport, Jessica kept her essentials in a large black leather handbag and wheeled a white suitcase alongside her
‘They’re conversations that we’ll definitely be having in the next few years, probably.’
Aside from the split, it has been a red-letter year for Jessica after she won multiple World Cups and two gold medals at the Paris Olympics.
Her younger sister, Noemie, 27, also won gold at Paris in the Kayak cross event.
Jessica’s Paris successes have cemented her as one of Australia’s most in-demand and marketable sports stars.
Since returning home, Jessica has been wanted by sponsors Adidas, Red Bull, Toyota, L’Oreal Paris, Grant Thornton and Sydney Water as she prepares for the LA Olympics in 2028.
With her star power rising exponentially, Jessica was also named in the 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 list alongside fellow sports stars Ariane Titmus, Mary Fowler, and Oscar Piastri.
It currently remains uncertain if Jessica will continue on to compete at the 2032 Games in Brisbane, by which time she will be 38, after her planned stint at the LA Olympics.
She is regarded by many as the greatest female paddler of all time and was coached by her mother Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi, who was a bronze medalist in the sport for France at the 1996 Olympics.
The world champion slalom canoeist carried a black jacket over her handbag as she got ready to head home following her travels
Despite news of her recent relationship dramas breaking on the same day, Jessica appeared unperturbed, smiling as she casually strolled solo through the airport
At one point, she appeared to recognise someone as she exited, possibly her ride, offering them a hearty grin
Jessica also appeared to have received a welcome text message, smiling as she looked down at her phone upon her arrival
Her sighting came as reports emerged on Friday that Jessica had split from her partner of nine years Matthieu, a fellow canoe competitor
Meanwhile, Jessica’s father Richard is a five-time world champion, who represented Great Britain at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics.
He also had the rare honour of live calling Jess’ gold medal win in the K1 final in an emotional moment.
As a four-time Olympian herself, Jessica served as one of Australia’s flag bearers at the Paris 2024 opening ceremony, a feat she called ‘probably the greatest moment of my career’.
In her next competition, she will compete at the Oceania Championships in January next year ahead of the Canoe Slalom World Championships coming to Penrith in October.
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