Olympic success usually entails a certain level of rivalry, but one gold medallist has recanted her remarks after accidentally shooting her own father in the face.This week, Noemie, the 27-year-old daughter of former Team GB canoeist Richard Fox, won gold in the kayak cross event, adding to the family’s already impressive record of success on the water. After winning gold in the K1 and C1 competitions, Jessica, 30, now won six medals from the Olympics (three gold, one silver, and two bronze).
Given that their mother and Richard’s wife, Myriam, had previously won a K1 bronze while competing for France at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, paddle success almost seemed inevitable for the dynamic daughter pair. Due to this, the former British celebrity was left out and without any Olympic medals, something his oldest daughter was first more than delighted to bring up.After Noemie’s victory, Jess originally mocked her father’s accomplishments, saying to an interviewer, “It means that poor dad is the only one without an Olympic medal!” She has now had time to think things through, though, and admitted her remark may not have been the best.She admitted, “I was pretty savage in my interview, and I realised after that was really mean,” in an interview with Channel Nine, an Australian network. “I apologise, Dad. You are an incredible 10-time world champion with an impressive resume! Everyone in the family has a gold medal because we have four in the family.”
When the oldest Fox was first turned down for joining his family in the water as they celebrated Noemie’s victory, viewers felt bad for him. Richard, 64, was a pundit for Channel Nine and was initially asked to stay and discuss the outcome before being granted permission to celebrate the victory with his spouse and daughters.At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, the Somerset native represented Team GB. He finished fourth and narrowly missed taking home a medal from the Summer Games. But since then, his legacy has probably had a greater influence than any medal could have.
After relocating to Australia in 1998, Fox was appointed as the country’s head coach for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In this capacity, he successfully lobbied to maintain paddle competitions on the schedule. Initially, the Australian Olympic Committee had concluded that Sydney lacked sufficient facilities for slalom competitions. However, Richard’s involvement in an international movement was successful in securing additional financing for the sport.It’s obvious that his work as the second vice-president of the International Canoe Federation and the director of Australian Canoeing has had an impact locally as well. Furthermore, his efforts to inspire the next generation may have prevented his daughters Jessica and Noemie from ever having the chance to compete at the Olympics in the first place.
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