World canoe slalom championship 2025: Noemie Fox, four Aussies make kayak semis, miss team medals

A stern pep talk helped Noemie Fox qualify for her second semi-final at the world canoe slalom championships and gave her the belief she is mentally tough ahead of her kayak cross medal bid

Amanda Lulham

2 min read

October 1, 2025 - 3:54PM

News Sport Network

Noemie Fox in the whitewater during the kayak cross individual event at the ICF world canoe slalom championships at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium. Picture: David Gray/AFP.

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Local hero Noemie Fox gave herself a stern talking to after succumbing to both nerves and her emotions before lining up for her fifth race in just three days at the world canoe slalom world championships.

Working to be at her best — mentally and physically — for her favoured kayak cross racing on Saturday plus two semi-finals in canoe and kayak - Fox said she had felt strangely shaky and nervous before her kayak heats at Penrith and had to give herself a pep talk

“ I just felt irrationally nervous and shaky, but that’s sport, that happens with the pressure as well,’’ said the Paris Olympic kayak cross gold medallist after kayak heats on Wednesday morning.

“I’m really proud of my mental strength, that pulled through there.

“I gave myself a bit of a Ted Lasso motivational speak at the start. I think it’s easy to just succumb to the nerves and feel really shaky and the tears can come sometimes.

“You don’t want to let nerves take control of the situation and take this incredible opportunity away from you.

“That’s what I reminded myself, the sun is shining people are here to see me and this is my course and I’m strong on it. I just had to remind myself that at the start.’’

Fox and teammate Katie Eckhardt both qualified for Friday’s kayak semi-finals with their 6th and 13th places in the heats respectively. Fox is also in the canoe semis on Thursday.

World championship debutant Sarah Crosbee, the cousin of the Fox sisters, failed to make the semi-finals with her 50th placing.

The trio then combined n Wednesday afternoon for a fifth place in the kayak teams which had left all three smiling.

“What matters today is we are very proud of ourselves,’’ said Eckhardt of the impressive result after young gun Crosbee was called into the team to replace Jessica Fox who is recovering from surgery.

Czechia won the kayak team title from Germany and Slovenia.

Top shot: France’s Lucie Prioux in the womens canoe final. Picture: Saeed Khan/AFP)--

The Australian men’s team continued to impress at the championships in the morning’s heats with all three paddlers qualifying for Friday’s semi-finals with top 15 place finishes.

Emu Plains kayaker Lucien Delfour was the top placed in the heats with a nifty 3rd place with Tim Anderson 11th and Ben Pope 14th.

“We still get on the water tomorrow (Thursday),’’ Delfour said.

“We’ll still get the blood pumping and the arms moving.

“It’s really essential to keep the intensity up because you don’t want your body to really calm down too much.

“You’ve got to stay focused and you’ve got to keep your keep your energy up.’’

Later the Australians sat in the bronze medal position in the kayak teams briefly before being knocked down the laddrer by later teams, eventually finishing fifth.

France won the kayak team event from Japan and Great Britian.

THURSDAY SCHEDULE

10:30am Men’s Canoe Semi Final

11:38am Women’s Canoe Semi Final

2:30pm Men’s Canoe Final

3:16pm Women’s Canoe Final