Tokyo 2020 Olympics a golden opportunity for Australian surfing says Sally Fitzgibbons

Sally Fitzgibbons says Australia has both the surfers and the high performance program to deliver historic surfing medals when the sport makes its debut at the Tokyo Games in less than two years.

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Sally Fitzgibbons says Australia has both the surfers and the high performance program to deliver historic surfing medals when the sport makes its debut at the Tokyo Games in less than two years.

And the 28-year-old said her plan is to be part of the celebrations.

Currently ranked seventh in the world title race, Fitzgibbon says 2018 has been a year she has taken the hits required to make her a better surfer in time for next year’s Olympic qualification.

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A year where she has learned to deal better with losses, pressure and learned what she needs to do to improve her surfing so she is one of the two Australian females selected to surf in Tokyo in 2020.

Sally Fitzgibbons celebrates winning at the ISA World Surfing Games in Japan.

“I have learned priceless things for next year,” said Fitzgibbons, who has only made the podium twice on the world tour this season but won the ISA world games crown.

“Just little things, experiences that I have had to surf through, losing heats that hurt but that make you better, dealing with pressure and learning to make better decisions.

“It’s a life goal for me to be a world champion and to be at the Olympics. I am putting my hat in the ring. I want to win gold.’’

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Heading to Maui this week for the finale of the season - and where Stephanie Gilmore is in the box seat to claim a record equalling seventh world crown - Fitzgibbon says she looks ahead to 2019 with confidence.

Unlike other sports where athletes will qualify for the Games in 2020, Australian surfers are likely to secure their Tokyo spots from their rankings on the world surf league tour as long as the are in the top 10 on the men’s tour and top eight on the women’s.

Fitzgibbons has been consistent this year but has yet to win a world tour event.

Currently No. 1 Gilmore and No. 7 Fitzgibbons and No. 2 Julian Wilson and No. 5 Owen Wright would fit this criteria.

“I think golds for Australia is very doable,’’ said Fitzgibbons, who has been part of numerous high performance camps at Surfing Australia’s performance head quarters on the Gold Coast and also overseas at Kelly Slater’s wave pool.

“We have the talent. We are already building the culture for the team. We have a great high performance venue and program.’’

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While surfing will be contested in the Pacific Ocean around 90km to the south-east of Tokyo in 2020, Fitzgibbons said time spend training in wave pools will greatly assist Australian surfers.

“We have an advantage in that most of us have been on world tour for a couple of years and we’ve also had that wave pool experience.

“The pressure from the wave pool is like an Olympic Games. That is what it will feel like. It could be a great help.’’