Richard Fox, Noemie Fox’s father, found himself in a shocking commentary moment for Channel Nine as he reported on his daughter’s breathtaking gold medal win at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday morning.
The Fox family accomplished an extraordinary achievement in Paris by clinching all the gold medals, as Noemie joined her sister Jessica as an Olympic champion in the kayak cross event.
At the age of 27, Noemie excelled in this new Olympic whitewater discipline, winning every round before securing her victory in the four-paddler final at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
It was a moment of pure celebration, and Richard Fox was providing insight alongside Channel Nine commentator David Culbert when an unexpected turn of events unfolded.
Noemie Fox celebrates as she crosses the finish line to become the third Olympic medallist in her family after her mother and sister
A beaming Noemie finally gets to celebrate her achievement with her parents Myriam and Richard after her father experienced a blunt refusal from his Channel Nine colleague
An obviously emotional Richard kindly inquired if he could step away from the commentary desk to share in his daughter’s triumph.
However, the response he received was as surprising as it was harsh.
Fox: ‘Channel Nine, can I go and see my…’
Culbert: ‘No, just hold on for a moment, because we need to get your reaction.’
Fox: ‘Oh my god! Yeah, yeah, yeah.’
‘What an incredible race, unbeaten in the heats,’ Culbert continued.
‘She absolutely nailed it,’ Richard responded.
‘Concerns that you might have had …’ he began to say before trailing off, clearly wanting to be with his family.
‘When it’s tight and you’re under pressure, flaws appear.
‘Oh look, they’re in the water,’ he remarked while watching his entire family celebrate without him.
‘How beautiful is that?’
Culbert, however, wasn’t quite done with him.
‘Gold medals in different events for the same family at the Olympic Games; that’s an extremely rare achievement unless they’re in a team sport and playing together,’ he stated.
‘Jess jumps in, Miriam jumps in, you go down and jump in, we’ll hear from you, your reactions will be covered.’
Interestingly, Channel Nine reported that Culbert did not stop Richard from joining his family.
Wide World of Sports conveyed that it was ‘a request that fellow commentator Dave Culbert was completely okay with.’
Despite Richard handling the dismissal gracefully, it was a remarkable moment that witnessed a father missing the opportunity to congratulate his daughter during such a significant emotional occasion.
Noemie couldn’t believe she had accomplished her Olympic dreams after watching her sister Jessica pave the way for her
Interestingly, Channel Nine stated that Culbert did not refuse Richard the chance to join his family.
Wide World of Sports reported that Fox exclaimed, ‘Oh my god, oh my goodness,’ before asking to exit the commentary booth to join the post-race celebrations in ‘a request that fellow commentator Dave Culbert was perfectly fine with.’
‘You should go down and celebrate,’ he encouraged.
‘Head down there, we’ll catch up with you once you’re down there.’
‘But you absolutely deserve to be down there.’
‘It’s unbelievable that it’s mine,’ Noemie said, reflecting on her gold medal.
‘You never really dare to dream this big, but I took a chance and aimed to reach the Olympics and to get into that final.
‘When I noticed at the last gate that I was in the lead, it was such pure joy—there are simply no words to express that feeling.’
Noemie was joined in the water by her 30-year-old sister Jessica, who dove in to celebrate after cheering her sibling throughout the competition.
Though Noemie has always been a top-tier paddler, she had never had the chance to compete in the Olympics until now, with her superstar sister occupying the only Australian selection slot available.
Jessica Fox jumps in the water to celebrate with her sister after the event
The younger sister mentioned that there were numerous times she contemplated stepping away from the sport due to her sister’s overwhelming success.
However, the introduction of the splash and dash event for the Paris Olympics opened up another qualifying spot for Noemie alongside Jessica, who helped her prepare for the selection regatta.
‘I’m her biggest supporter, just as she is mine,’ Noemie expressed.
‘Witnessing her win two golds and then having her as my ultimate cheerleader is like a fairytale ending.
‘She is the greatest of all time in our sport … her victories serve as a tremendous inspiration and privilege for me.
‘When someone of her caliber believes in you and says, ‘you’ve got this,’ it motivates you to achieve your dreams.’
‘This was my moment, my medal, and we’re walking away with three golds in our family—it’s just unreal.’
Fox celebrates with her supporters after earning the prestigious gold medal in Paris
Jessica expressed her pride in witnessing her sister fulfill her ambitions.
‘I felt such nervous anticipation; all I wanted was for her to perform well … and she truly excelled,’ she noted.
‘I’m in complete awe of her … she’s an Olympic champion, and her hard work has led her to this moment; I couldn’t be happier for her.’
Had the Fox family been a country, they would rank 16th on the overall medal leaderboard at the Paris Games.
