The New South Wales Government announced on Wednesday that an island in the whitewater centre being built for the 2000 Sydney Games will be named after Olympic champion paddlers Jess Fox and Noemie.

Penrith Whitewater Stadium will host the Canoe Slalom World Championships in 2017. It is the home to Australia's high performance program for the sport.

Jess is a 14-time world champion and won her second gold medal at the Olympics in July. Noemie has two team world titles. She joined her sister in Paris as an Olympic champion after winning the kayak crossing event.

The NSW Government released a statement that said, "In recognition for the outstanding contribution made by the Fox family to the paddling world... the island at the heart of Penrith Whitewater Stadium is now known as Fox Island."

In the statement, it was also announced that both local and national governments would contribute A$3.2m ($2.14m) to Paddle Australia to stage the event. The event is expected to draw up to 20,000 people.

Jess Fox said, "We've seen how fans love our sport at the recent World Championships and Olympic Games. The packed crowds create a wonderful environment."

"I was six years old when I watched the Sydney 2000 Olympics and 11 years old when the World Championships took place here in 2005. To have this legacy 20 or 25 year later means so much to me."

Richard, the father of the sisters, won 10 world titles in kayaking for Britain. He was also the former Australia head coach. Richard played a major role in the campaign for the construction of the centre in the west end suburbs in Sydney, for the 2000 Olympics.

Myriam, their mother, was a world champion kayaker in France during the 1980s and 90s. $1 = 1.4934 Australian Dollars (Reporting and editing by Nick Mulvenney)

(source: Reuters)