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Silver Lining for Noemie Fox in Oklahoma

Paddle Australia

Olympic Kayak Cross champion Noemie Fox clinched silver in the women’s Kayak Cross on the final day of the 2026 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Oklahoma.

Fox had to fight for her place in the women’s Kayak Cross final, finishing in the top two across five races before the sixth and final event.

Coming into the last section of the course in the women’s final, Ricarda Funk (GER) and Miren Lazkano (ESP) were looking to spoil Fox’s run, but she overcame the onslaught to finish second on the podium behind Alena Marx (SUI).

The result is Fox’s first individual World Championship medal, and after a heartbreaking 2025 season she described the result as good as gold.

“Honestly, this feels like gold,” said Fox, a New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder. “It’s just been such a huge life lesson for me to never give up and to arrive as fresh as possible. This week has had so many ups and downs – moments of joy in winning the [women’s] Kayak Teams and then individual slalom results I wasn’t proud of. I feel like that ‘why not you’ mentality really kicked in.

“This means a lot. I’m really proud of the way I’ve bounced back this week,” she said.

On debut at his first senior World Championships, powerhouse Merle Long (NSWIS) had an incredible run through to the semi finals where he finished just out of the top two. Long competed in the Small Final for the men’s Kayak Cross where he crossed the line in second and in sixth place overall.

“I just missed out on the final by that much. Making a semi final is still a great debut so I’m pretty happy,” Long said. “It only adds fuel to the flame. I’ll be in this sport for quite a while. To get two sixths – one in time trial and one in head-to-head at the Olympic venue two years out from LA 2028 – I couldn’t be happier.”

After not much Kayak Cross racing over the last 12 months, Jessica Fox (NSWIS)looked strong as she progressed through to the quarterfinals. A fault in the race saw her run come to an end and finished 13th overall.

Paris 2024 Olympian Tim Anderson (NSWIS) came up against teammate Merle Long in the men’s Kayak Cross heats where he finished fourth in the heat due to a fault.

Senior World Championships debutant Ada Mackie was knocked out in the women’s repechage rounds and finished 34th overall.

DAY 6 AUSTRALIAN RESULTS

Women’s Kayak Cross

2nd – Noemie Fox

13th – Jessica Fox

34th – Ada Mackie

Men’s Kayak Cross

6th – Merle Long

27th – Tim Anderson

AUSTRALIAN MEDALS

Jessica Fox – Gold medal in Women’s Kayak Cross Individual Time Trial

Jessica Fox, Noemie Fox and Kate Eckhardt – Gold medal in Women’s Kayak Teams