You’d be forgiven for naming Jessica Fox as younger sister Noemie’s number one inspiration heading into her triumphant kayak cross final on Monday.
But the newly-crowned Olympic champion has pinpointed a different source of motivation before the big race in France.
The Fox family completed the clean sweep of gold medals in Paris with Noemie joining her sister Jessica as an Olympic champion by winning the kayak cross.
The 27-year-old was unstoppable in the new Olympic whitewater event, winning every round before taking out the four-paddler final on Monday at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
Fox crossed the line ahead of Frances Angele Hug with Great Britain’s reigning world champion Kimberley Woods winning bronze.
Woods held the lead but struggled to get around an upstream gate late in the course, allowing Fox to power home.
After her victory, Fox revealed how compatriot and new BMX champion Saya Sakakibara’s victory served as motivation for her effort.
Sakakibara, like Fox, was not viewed as the favourite to win gold in the final, with the BMX star up against the all-conquering Brit Bethany Shriever.
But the Aussie dealt a huge shock by storming to victory in a speedy race, just as Fox did to Woods.
Noemie Fox has revealed her main inspiration for gold was not sister Jessica
The younger Fox, 27, triumphed in the kayak cross final on Monday
She said the performance of BMX champion Saya Sakakibara inspired her
‘I was like, OK, I’m gonna do like her,’ she told Nine.
‘And it’s surreal to be holding this (gold medal). It just it feels like a dream.
‘I can’t believe it’s mine. Years of hard work and today just panned out to perfection
‘It was such a privilege and honour to be on there on the podium with two other pioneers in kayak cross, that have invested so much time and energy.
‘We’ve done training camps together and to share that moment was so special, yeah. It’s just it’s a dream. It’s a dream come true.’
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