Jess Fox is Australia’s golden girl. At the current Paris 2024 Olympics the champion French-born Australian slalom canoeist and kayaker has won hearts across the nation. And it would appear, given her French heritage, that the country of origin is supporting her undeniable talent, as well.
So what medals has Jess Fox won so far in these Olympics? Fox has taken home two gold medals overall; in the women’s canoe single final and in the women’s kayak single final. While Fox did miss out on a medal in the new kayak-cross event, she is still considered as one of the biggest achievers at the 2024 Olympic Games. It is no small feat, and has placed the athlete squarely into the realm of the nation’s best, with more Olympic medals than any other Australian in history. Big stuff.
In light of these two most recent gold medals, we threw back to our 2022 interview with one of the greatest sportswomen of our time. Here’s why Jess Fox is a GOAT, and has put the disappointment of the 2021 Tokyo Games behind her.
How Jessica Fox became the GOAT
Two days is all that separates one of Jessica Fox’s most heartbreaking junctures from the greatest moment of her career. It was July 27, 2021, and Jess had just crossed the finish line in the women’s canoe slalom K1 final at the Tokyo Olympics.
Even though she had the fastest run of any of the athletes in the event, she was hit with two two-second time penalties, which meant that she fell to third place: 1.23 seconds behind gold medallist Ricarda Funk and 0.10 seconds behind silver medallist Maialen Chorraut. The second time penalty for touching a gate in the run had cost Jess the gold medal. Her body hunched over her kayak as she dropped her head into her hands. For the 27-year-old, who had been chasing a gold medal since she competed at her first Olympics in 2012, it was devastating.
“But I had to reframe it,” Jess says. “Rather than saying, ‘I should have won the gold. I made that mistake and I lost,’ [it became] ‘I’ve won a third Olympic medal. I’ve won the bronze medal.’ It was really frustrating for me to know that the last two-second penalty kept me from the gold medal position. But it also showed that I still have so much to learn. I’m still learning, I’m still human.
“When I went onto the podium [for the medal ceremony], I tried to really appreciate the moment and celebrate it with Maialen and Ricarda. Then I got in the taxi and I bawled my eyes out on the drive back to the village. I had to really try and get the emotion out and then switch off. For me, switching off was doing some breathing techniques, watching Friends while getting physio, talking about anything but the Olympics and also journalling.”
Whether she had won or lost the K1, Jess knew that releasing all of her emotions was key to prepare for her next Olympic event: the canoe slalom C1. “It was the biggest 72 hours of my life,” the Sydney-based athlete admits. “So much emotional and mental energy went into it.
“Those 48 hours after the kayak and in the lead up to the C1, any time I had a negative thought come into my head, I just wrote it down and countered it by saying, ‘Well, no, actually I’ve prepared extremely well.’ Or, ‘I trust my skills that I can pull this off, I’ll be ready when it matters.’ In the end, I really tried to think about how we all have disappointments, but tomorrow is a new day and a new opportunity. I deserve to do my best race. It’s not that I deserve to win. It’s just that I deserve to do my best race.”
When it came time to compete in the C1 finals on July 29, Jess did exactly that. She completed a perfect run with no penalties and finished three seconds in front of silver medallist Mallory Franklin and six seconds ahead of bronze medallist Andrea Herzog. Jess not only won the elusive Olympic gold to come back after her heartbreaking K1 final, but she also made history as the first woman to win gold at the Olympics for the C1 event.
Two months later, Jess backed it up by winning the K1 World Cup title and finished the year by taking gold in the extreme slalom event at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships, bringing her total world titles to a staggering eight, and solidifying her status as the greatest paddler of all time.
“When I look back on 2021, I had one of my most successful seasons with a major title in three different events. It’s been a great year. I didn’t feel like I could really pull off the title of GOAT until I won an Olympic gold medal. It’s really special now to reflect and see that I’ve achieved that big goal. Now it’s back to the drawing board and setting new ones.”
Photography: Steve Baccon. Styling: Nicole Adolphe. Hair & make up: Meg Guthrie. Hair: Graeme Cumming. Make-up: Lei Tai using NARS at Mecca Cosmetica. Art direction: Amanda McCourt.
Jess Fox FAQ
Does Jess Fox have a partner?
Yes, Jess Fox does have a boyfriend, and is dating fellow canoeist Matthieu Biazizzio. Biazizzo is a French slalom canoeist who also competes at an international level. In 2023, Fox stated to The Daily Telegraph that, “There’s always a bit of competition, especially if we’re training together. I always try to beat him, but it’s also about learning from each other. It is really special to be able to share that together. And the fact that he understands what I’m going through.”
Where was Jess Fox born?
Jess Fox was born in Marseilles, France on June 11, 1194. She turned 30 this year. Interestingly, both of her parents are world champion slalom canoeists. Her mother, Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi, won bronze at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and Richard Fox, is a world champion slalom canoeist for Great Britain.
When did Jess Fox move to Australia?
Jess Fox moved to Australia when she was five years old. The family set up their live in Penrith, Sydney, so that her father could continue coaching canoeing.
How many Olympic medals does Jess Fox have?
Jess Fox has won six career medals, three of which are gold.
