Australian Fox, who won the Olympic C1 title at last year's postponed Olympic Games in Tokyo, topped the K1 heat in 93.93sec at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium.

The 27-year-old finished 2.96 quicker than youngster sister Noemie, who was second.

Kate Eckhardt was third-quickest having clocked 101.64 in a field containing almost entirely Australian athletes.

Fox also led the way in the C1 heats, completing the course in 96.10 to qualify for the semi-finals in style.

She was more than nine seconds faster than nearest challenger Eckhardt, who finished in 105.23, while Noemie Fox was third.

In the men's K1 heats, Lucien Delfour of Australia posted the fastest time of 85.86.

Australian team-mate Benjamin Pope was second in 88.02, ahead of France's Mathieu Biazizzo in 89.47.

The Oceania Championships mark the beginning of the 2022 canoe slalom calendar with vital ranking points up for grabs.

The event is a precursor to the 2025 World Canoe Slalom Championships, scheduled to take place at a venue built for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. 

Extreme canoe slalom is also on the programme in Penrith, which sees athletes race head-to-head against each other.