Penrith’s Jessica Fox has proudly flown the Australian flag along the River Seine in Paris, but her focus will immediately turn to competition.
30-year-old Fox comes to Paris as the best paddler of her generation. She can cement her legacy at her fourth Olympics after collecting Medals in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
The heats for the Women’s K1 will get underway tomorrow morning Australian time.
The Final of the K1, where Fox has won three Olympic medals, will take place at 1.45am on Monday morning. The Final of the C1, the event where Fox won gold at the last Olympics, will take place at 1.25am Thursday.
Later in the week, the Kayak Cross will see Fox compete against her sister, Noemie.
But this morning it was all about the glitz of the opening ceremony – for the first time not held in a stadium, but down the Seine and at the iconic Eiffel Tower.
French-born Fox braved heavy rain alongside Eddie Ockenden to proudly carry the Australian flag, leading excited athletes with the crowd assembled along both sides of the river.
“I am proud to follow in the steps of so many great Australians who have carried the flag,” Fox said.
“The Olympic Games bring us together as sports, as athletes and as a nation. And of course I am immensely proud to represent Australia in the country of my birth.”
There has been some criticism across broadcasts this morning of the style of the Opening Ceremony, which has been far more difficult to follow given it is not in a stadium.
The river parade started from the Austerlitz Bridge, around the two islands at the centre of the city (the Île Saint Louis and the Île de la Cité) before passing under several bridges and gateways.
Athletes on board the parade boats got glimpses of some of the official Games venues, including Parc Urbain La Concorde, the Esplanade des Invalides, the Grand Palais, and lastly the Iéna bridge.
“The smiles, the laughter, the enjoyment – this is exactly what we hoped to see. What a wonderful moment,” reporter Chris Paine said on The Sydney Morning Herald’s live blog upon spotting the Australian tea.
Our Flag Bearers, Jess and Eddie, are counting down to the start of the Opening Ceremony!! #Paris2024 🇦🇺💚💛 We are only moments away.
Watch live on @Channel9 and @9Now! #AllezAUS | @paddle_aus | @hockeyaustralia | @kookaburras pic.twitter.com/4NdvYjKnqS
— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) July 26, 2024
As the party rolls in Paris, Fox will immediately return to preparation for her what could be one of the crowning moments of her already illustrious paddling career.
Fox is the short-priced favourite to win Gold in the K1, currently at $1.65 with the TAB ahead of Germany’s Ricrada Funk at $4.50. She is even shorter in the C1 at $1.45.
Back home in Australia, locals will be cheering Fox on, perhaps a little bleary-eyed, in the early hours of the morning over the next week.
Yesterday, students at Fox’s former school – Blaxland High – held a special celebration to honour both Jessica and Noemie, with kids encouraged to wear green and gold and dress up in Olympic outfits.
The Olympics are a stage for greatness. Jessica Fox has already etched her name into that category, but she sits on the precipice of moving into legendary status at the these Games.
And we’ll be cheering hard from almost 17,000 kilometres away.
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.