Olympic golden girl Jess Fox sparked romance rumours after she was seen with a mystery man at the NRL clash between Penrith and Melbourne last month, following her quiet split from longtime partner Mathieu Biazizzo in May 2024.
Now, the Daily Mail can reveal the identity of the man making her smile again: former rugby league player turned businessman Jack Nelson.
Fox, 32, has fuelled speculation by sharing holiday photos from Rome featuring a male companion, two spoons sharing tiramisu, and a playful nod to The Lizzie McGuire Movie.
A recent Instagram photo offers a closer look, showing Nelson leaning in towards Fox as she smiles at the camera and holds his arm during an evening out, with a friend’s cheeky comment underneath adding to the buzz.
One commenter tagged his account, @itsj_nels, with a light-hearted suggestion about his facial hair.
‘Get the man a razor @itsj_nels,’ they wrote.
The Mail can reveal the identity of the man making Olympic golden girl Jess Fox smile again
Fox revealed in May 2025 that she was dating again while balancing training, work and her personal life
Jack Nelson played reserve-grade rugby league for Canterbury and Penrith before focusing on his career in equipment sales
Nelson’s LinkedIn profile lists him as general manager of Nelson’s Equiptrade, a role he has held since July 2018
Fox was quick to join in.
‘It’s not aero,’ she replied.
The exchange adds to growing interest in the champion’s love life following the end of her nine-year relationship with French canoeist Mathieu Biazizzo.
Fox has not publicly confirmed a new relationship, but the tagged Instagram account belongs to former footy star Jack Nelson.
Nelson brings a sporting background of his own, having played in the Penrith and Canterbury systems before concentrating on his business career.
He made 63 NSW reserve-grade appearances, including 49 for Canterbury across the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
He also played three reserve-grade matches for Penrith and 11 for Mount Pritchard, along with 37 appearances in the under-20s competition.
His football highlights include winning the NSW reserve-grade premiership and State Championship with Canterbury in 2018.
Nelson won the NSW reserve-grade premiership and State Championship with Canterbury in 2018 during his rugby league career
The Olympic champion underwent surgery in August 2025 to remove a kidney tumour, subsequently suffering complications during recovery
Fox and French canoeist Mathieu Biazizzo quietly separated in May 2024 after spending about nine years together
Nelson is not listed as making any first-grade NRL appearances.
These days, Nelson’s LinkedIn profile lists him as general manager of Nelson’s Equiptrade, a position he has held since July 2018.
The Sydney-based businessman’s profile also references property, equipment sales and investments under the Nelson Group banner.
The latest interest in Fox’s personal life follows her Italian getaway, during which an unidentified man appeared in several Instagram posts.
One clip featured the pair beneath an ornate ceiling, with Fox writing: ‘Can’t wait to see all the places Lizzie went to’ – a playful nod to The Lizzie McGuire Movie, in which the main character takes a school graduation trip to Rome.
Another showed two spoons tucked into a tiramisu, while an early-morning run image carried a 6.14am timestamp.
The holiday comes two years after Fox and Biazizzo quietly went their separate ways in May 2024, shortly before the Paris Olympics.
Their break-up was reported that December, with the couple said to have grown apart as their demanding international competition schedules kept them separated for long periods.
During their relationship, Fox would spend time with Biazizzo in Europe after the racing season, while he would travel to Australia over summer.
Fox went on to win two gold medals in Paris.
By May 2025, she was speaking openly about being ready to date again, although finding room for romance alongside elite sport was another challenge.
‘I am [on the dating scene],’ she said.
‘When you’re trying to balance life, work, training and then you throw dating in there… you know for me it has to happen organically.
‘But I’m happy and I’m in a good place, everything is great for me.’
She was subsequently photographed walking and chatting with a male companion at a Panthers clash against Melbourne in August 2025, and also appeared on camera alongside Nine presenter Danika Mason.
It comes after Fox endured a major health scare in August 2025 when she underwent surgery to remove a tumour from her left kidney.
The operation was successful, but complications after surgery added to her recovery ordeal and forced her to miss the remaining European World Cup events.
She also withdrew from the world championships in Penrith, putting her comeback on hold to rebuild her strength and regain full health.
Despite the setback, Fox remained determined to defend her Olympic titles at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
After nine months away, she returned to World Cup competition in Slovenia in May 2026, winning kayak silver.
Just a week later, she claimed both kayak and canoe slalom gold in Prague, marking a stunning return after her surgery and lengthy rehabilitation.
