Kayaker Riley Fitzsimmons out to make a splash at world titles in race for Tokyo

Rio Olympic kayaker and surf life saver Riley Fitzsimmons has watched his ironman girlfriend race to multiple wins this year. No it’s his time to make a splash.

• Crusaders make their mark
• Surfer Ryan Callinan’s emotional ride

He spent summer helping his ironwoman girlfriend Georgia Miller bag multiple wins in the surf but now it’s time for Riley Fitzsimmons to make a splash on the water.

The surf life saver and Australian kayaker has set himself the formidable goal of racing off with a medal with mate Jordan Wood at the upcoming world kayak championships in Szeged, Hungary.

Fitzsimmons, who handled for ironwoman partner Miller in multiple races over the summer — including the Coolangatta Gold which she won — will attempt to qualify Australia for the Tokyo Olympics in the K2 1000 event with a top six result in Hungary.

Olympic kayaker Riley Fitzsimmons was there to help partner Georgia Miller, who hails from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, after she won her first Coolangatta Gold ironwoman crown last summer.

Fitzsimmons and Wood have their sights on cracking a podium finish for the first time at senior level.

And while the Avoca kayaker was part of the K4 crew which recently won gold at the under 23 world championships, his sole focus in Hungary will be on the K2.

I still have aspirations of racing the K4 and K2 at the Olympics so this is all about testing myself

“The big focus is on qualifying Australia a spot in every boat at Tokyo and in the K2 that’s top six in an A final,” Fitzsimmons said in a phone call from Hungary.

Jordan Wood and Riley Fitzsimmons are racing to be on the Australian team competing at the Tokyo Olympics.

“Woody and I finished fourth in the K2 last year. Everything we have been doing has been to improve on that.

“It’s a big goal of ours to be on the podium, we’ve been paddling for close to four years together now and we want to be the No. 1 crew in Australia.”

And while he’s not been given a seat in the K4 boat in Hungary, Fitzsimmons says he will do the to work on making the crew to race in Tokyo.

“I still have aspirations of racing the K4 and K2 at the Olympics so this is all about testing myself,” he said.

Originally published as Kayaker Riley Fitzsimmons out to make a splash at world titles in race for Tokyo