By Ben Talintyre

Copyright news

The reigning Olympic kayak cross gold medallist was Australia’s best hope of a title at home, with older sister and three-time Olympic goal medallist Jess sidelined as she recovers from an unexpected surgery to remove a tumour on her kidney.

Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.

However, on Monday, Fox just missed out on a medal, finishing fifth, after mistiming the first upstream section.

It was a mistake that would prove crucial as she missed out on a podium on day one of the championships at Penrith Whitewater Stadium by just 0.12 seconds.

Swiss paddler Alena Marx took gold in 62.09 seconds.

Slovenia’s Ajda Novak was second, with Brazilian kayaker Ana Satila in third.

Fox narrowly missed out on a medal with a time of 63.35 compared to Satila’s 63.23.

The Australian did, however, progress to the head-to-head knockout rounds, as she was among the best 42 across the men’s and women’s kayak cross time trials.

And Fox says the day was bittersweet because she was proud of how she pulled it together after a huge blunder early in her run, but was obviously disappointed in not being up on the podium.

“It’s bittersweet because I had a big mistake at the top, but then held it together,” Fox said.

“What’s changed is that previously, I knew that could have derailed me or made me feel that the race was lost.

“To be able to come back and not let something like that affect you when you know it was a bit of a time loss, that’s what I’m really proud of.”

Her sister, Jess, has been left to watch on from the sidelines while the world championships take place at their local course in Penrith.

And while the younger Fox said she doesn’t feel like she has to prove herself in her sister’s absence, she admits it has been tough not to have Jess out there.

“Regardless of whether she was racing or not here, my approach was going to be the same,” Noemie said.

“It’s just harder not having her as a teammate and hard as a sister.”

Jess Fox’s sad admission about world championships

Fox was meant to headline the Australian team at the world championships, but a shock surgery ruled her out of the event.

And Fox admitted last week that it has been a tough pill to swallow.

“This has been a huge shock and a lot to digest, but once I’d gotten out of surgery and was in my recovery, I think it was pretty clear that I wouldn’t be racing world champs,” Fox said at the pre-world championships media event on Friday.

“If I’m on that start line, I want to be ready and I want to be at my best, and I had to put my health first.

“So I think digesting, for me, has been about processing the fact that it just wasn’t meant to be.

“But I still get to be part of it in a different way, and that I should enjoy it, embrace it, be grateful to be able to be well enough to be there and supporting everyone else.”

Australia’s paddlers will return on Tuesday for the canoe slalom heats.

The slalom world championships run from Monday to Saturday.