Australian surf life saving championship news: Tokyo Olympic K4 team rivals at Aussies 2022

They trained and raced together for years. Now these Tokyo Olympians are working side-by-side off the water but will be the fiercest rivals on it at the Australian surf life saving titles.

Amanda Lulham

@amandalulham

3 min read

April 7, 2022 - 10:44AM

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Lachlan Tame, Riley Fitzsimmons, Murray Stewart and Jordan Wood of Team Australia in Tokyo.

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They raced their final event together at the Tokyo Olympics but there is no keeping this close knit team of Australian paddlers apart - or dousing their competitive spirit,

Paris Olympic hopeful Riley Fitzsimmons is back working beside his mates who retired after the Games last year but this time it’s to build houses.

The kayaker and Australian surf life saver is the only member of the Australian K4 team which raced at the Tokyo Olympics to decide to paddle on to Paris 2024.

But that’s hasn’t broken up this band of brothers.

He and teammates Lachie Tame, Jordan Wood and Murray Stewart are working closely together on a daily basic.

Stewart is an architect who works regularly with Tame’s carpentry company which also employs Fitzsimmons and Wood.

Riley Fitzsimmons winning a ski race at the Summer of Surf.

“Lachie is putting me through my apprenticeship so we are all back together, just in a different way,” Fitzsimmons said.

Fitzsimmons, who has paddled for the Central Coast Avoca club most of his life with Tame, was last year part of the winning Australian surf ski relay team at the Aussies but has since flipped allegiances to the Northcliffe club alongside partner and reigning Australian ironwoman champion Georgia Miller.

And this week that will pit him against his old clubmate Tame and former crew mates Stewart and Wood in the individual surf ski championships and the relay event at the Australian surf life saving titles on the Gold Coast.

Lachlan Tame, Riley Fitzsimmons, Murray Stewart and Jordan Wood in Tokyo.

“All four of us are doing it and we are all very competitive,’’ Tame said.

“Riley will be a red hot favourite but I still compete for Avoca so the whole goal of my weekend is to beat Northcliffe.

The 2022 Australian championships boast a record 7200 competitors, making it one of the largest sporting events in Australia.

GEORGIA MILLER ON TRACK FOR IRONWOMAN DEFENCE

Georgia Miller has been through the wars this season but she says she’s ready for battle at the Australian surf life saving championships this week.

Miller, who grew up on Sydney’s northern beaches but is now based on the Gold Coast, saw the effects of a flu virus and Christmas Covid end her bid for the Nutri-Grain crown when she was taken to hospital and diagnosed with an inflammation of the heart requiring total rest for three weeks.

Now she’s hoping a freak injury while training won’t do the same to her Aussies campaign which started well on Wednesday on the Gold Coast when she qualified for Sunday’s ironwoman final.

Ironwoman Georgia Miller is into the final at the Aussies. Pic: HarvPix

“It has been a crazy season. I haven’t had any more dramas from the pericarditis but I ended up in hospital again,” Miller said.

“I stepped on a shell and cut my foot in training. My foot got infected, went septic, and I ended up in hospital for a few days.

“I can’t seem to get it right.

“That’s my third thing. I’m hoping it’s all been done.’’

Georgia Miller has had a tough lead-in to her Australian ironwoman defence Pic: HarvPix

Miller said the unscheduled break has made it impossible for her to predict her form as she chases a haul of medals - including back-to-back gold in the ironwoman she won last year at Aussies.

“I’m very proud of myself in getting back into things,’’ she said.

“I’m not where I would like to be like last year where I had done everything and ticked every box.

“But I’m still excited to see what I can do.”

Miller on Wednesday won her ironwoman quarter-final then finished fourth in her semi-final.

Other favourites for the ironwoman on Sunday include Nutri-Grain winner Harriet Brown, former champion Lana Rogers, Danielle McKenzie and Newport’s Lizzie Welborn.