Syked for sevens heaven

EMMA Sykes was late for school the morning the Australian women’s sevens team won the first Olympic gold for sevens in Rio in 2016.

Now, almost two years later, Sykes is not just part of that team, but the 19-year-old from the Sunshine Coast is the only new member of the starting side.

It would bring a level of pressure to most young athletes but the fact Sykes is already out there rubbing shoulders with Olympic champions Charlotte Caslick and Emilee Cherry tells you everything about how much pressure the former Australian touch player allows in.

“I watched it all,” Sykes said. “I remember I was even late for school because I wanted to watch them and then I wanted to watch the media on the news and stuff.

“So as far as coming in being the new player, I guess I was lucky last year was my first year so I had some leeway in being able to find my feet and figure out where I fit into the team.

“Now I think I have taken a step up with my game and settled into the team.

“I am just trying to play as well as I can for the team and do my job, and hopefully that’ll be enough.”

It’s been more than enough so far, and that’s no small feat. As a playmaker and the team’s kicker, Sykes has had plenty of responsibility put on her young shoulders.

It helps that Sykes was given her first Aussie jersey just a few months after her late arrival at school in 2016.

As a talented young athlete who’d represented Australia in touch football, Sykes was always tipped for big things but a debut for the Australian rugby sevens came out of the blue when she was just 17.

After playing in a development squad in Fiji, Sykes was pulled aside by coach Tim Walsh before her flight home to Queensland and told she’d be heading to Dubai instead.

“It all happened so quickly. There were two months there where I was living out of a suitcase in Sydney, in someone’s spare room,” Sykes said.

“But I am so thankful for all the opportunities I have been given and to be able to represent Australia at the Olympic Games, two years ago I would have never imagined I was able to do this.”

With eight Rio veterans in their Gold Coast squad of 12, Sykes is not lacking for advice on how to win at a major multi-sport tournament.

“A lot of the girls still talk about Rio and what they learned,” Sykes said.