Olympic gold medal winner Jess Fox has provided International Canoe Federation (ICF) Vice President Lluis Rabaneda Caselles with a behind the scenes tour of the upgraded Penrith Whitewater Stadium, as the countdown to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games continues.
Rabaneda Caselles was in Penrith this morning to get a first-hand look at the legacy venue of the 2000 Olympics, which will also play host to the World Canoe Slalom Championships in 2025.
Fox, who was recently named on her fourth Australian Olympic Team for the Paris Games, is on the countdown to the next Olympics where she’ll be out to defend her gold medal.
Richard Fox, Head of the 2025 Canoe Slalom World Championships Organising Committee, said the event would be “symbolic” given it will be 25 years since the Sydney Olympics.
“It’s a full circle from a personal point of view because we were involved in the campaign to get this place built,” he said.
“We had to convince the NSW Government that it was a good investment and we believe it was.”
Rabaneda Caselles said the ICF was keen to build strong relationships between paddling venues and the cities that house them.
“This venue is quite important… we always keep an eye here,” he said.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.