Penrith’s Return to the World Stage: A Paddle Group Unveiled

Twenty years ago, the world’s best slalom athletes carved their way through the rapids at Penrith Whitewater Stadium. They’re set to return to Penrith in September for the ICF Slalom World Championships.

To mark 200 days until the competition, the Australian team of 10 – five of whom are supported by the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) – was unveiled against the iconic backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge by Channel Nine sports presenter James Bracey.

The athletes described competing in a home world championship as a ‘once-in-a-career moment’, and an opportunity for Penrith – the home of the 2000 Olympics canoe slalom event – to shine.

Each athlete was handed a platypus plush toy during the event, a fitting symbol not only as New South Wales’ animal emblem. While the platypus is often a solitary creature, a group of them is called a ‘paddle’– a perfect metaphor for the sense of unity in the 2025 Australian team.

For slalom sisters and Olympic gold medallists Jessica and Noemie Fox, this year’s world championships carry deep, personal significance.

“I was a little 10-year-old in the stands when the worlds were last in Penrith,” Jessica said. “So to have everyone back out here in September-October will be awesome. I’m really looking forward to it.”

“That course is close to my heart, there’s a lot of legacy and history behind it,” Noemie said.

For Olympic canoeist Lucien Delfour, it’s a first-time experience.

“It’ll be really exciting to have a much bigger crowd, lots of friends and family watching,” he said. “I’m really excited for that.”

The weight of the occasion is not lost for world championship canoeists Tim Anderson, a 2024 Olympian, and Kaylen Basset.

“We’re so lucky to have the opportunity. It’s not a very common occurrence for most athletes, it’s a real honour,” Anderson said.

“[It will be the] first time having a couple of world champs outside the under-23s in 20 years, it’s something really special,” Basset enthused.

“It’s going to be a once-in-a-career moment for us all, so to have friends, family, and that home course advantage, I’m really looking forward to it,” he added.

With Australia’s ongoing success in the sport, anticipation for the 2025 World Championships continues to build.

The sport is seeing more young athletes taking to the water, with increased global interest – partly in thanks to Australia’s dominant performances at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympic games.

“It was incredible to see the impact of the Olympics in Paris and how many people watched our sport,” Jessica Fox said.

“Yesterday we were on the water, and we could see all these little 10, 11-year-old kids going for a paddle and getting used to the whitewater, so it’s really special.”

For Noemie Fox, it’s a reminder of her own journey.

“To see all the little juniors come through in their new and fresh NSWIS shirts, it always sends me back to when I qualified for my first junior world championships and then entered the NSWIS program.”

Tim Anderson agreed.

“It’s really cool to see our incredible sport get recognition I think it deserves,” he said.

“It’s such a unique sport, a lot of people [had] never heard of it or didn’t really understand how it works,”

“And I think that’s now changing. People understand it and appreciate how difficult it is.”

Beyond the racing, the return of the world championships to Australia represents a great opportunity.

“We’ve got an opportunity to position ourselves as a premier paddle destination here in Australia,” Paddle Australia CEO Kim Crane said.

“The International Canoe Federation [ICF] are championing us and saying, ‘get Down Under, have a look at our iconic waterways and oceans, and be inspired by what you’re going to see at our World Championships’.”

Richard Fox, who won 10 world championship gold medals and who is Head of the Penrith 2025 Host Organising Committee, reflected on how the Whitewater Stadium – built for the Sydney 2000 Olympics – originated from the back of an envelope, to become one of the world’s top training venues.

“More than 25 years on, it’s still one of the best venues in the world. We still get 20 or 30 countries coming out to train here. So, we’re very proud of that.” he said.

With 200 days to go, Australia’s paddlers will spend the next few months competing in World Cups across Europe, refining their skills, and preparing for the biggest race of their careers.

The platypus paddle group – announced yesterday – plan to be ready to take on the world.

Secure your tickets here today.

The Australian team:

• Tim Anderson (NSWIS)
• Kaylen Basset (NSWIS)
• Tristan Carter
• Lucien Delfour (NSWIS)
• Kate Eckhardt
• Jessica Fox (NSWIS)
• Noemie Fox (NSWIS)
• Georgie O’Callaghan
• Ben Pope
• Ben Ross
  

Photos: Paddle Australia, JGR Images, Rachel Tingey

Words: Rachel Tingey, NSWIS