Fisher plays long game
“I just needed a bit of a change,” Fisher said of his move from Brisbane.
“I started my off-season in Brisbane and did a few long rides and was like, ‘I need a different stimulus’.
“I didn’t think I’d get through another off-season doing the same rides.”
Fisher’s coach Shaun Stephens also recently relocated to the Gold Coast to become the Australian Canoeing National Performance Director after a short stint at the AIS in Canberra and performance coach for Team Sky in Monaco, France.
Fisher has always wanted to try his hand at long course racing and after securing second in his first taste of it at the 70.3 Western Sydney event he is keen for more.
The 26-year-old is now determined to qualify and compete at this year’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship, to be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on September 10.
Fisher finished 17th in the Gold Coast leg of the WTS on April 8, an event where an automatic spot on the 2018 Commonwealth Games team was up for grabs.
But isn’t planning on racing any more ITU events this year and while he hasn’t fully shut the door on making another play at next year’s Commonwealth Games, Fisher said his move to the long course format could become a permanent one.
“I haven’t put huge emphasis on selection,” he said.
“If (the Commonwealth Games) wasn’t in Australia, honestly – not that I wouldn’t care at all about it – but I really wouldn’t be that fussed.
“I’m not going to completely brush the idea of doing ITU racing but at this stage it’s not looking likely I’ll do any this year.
“This is probably the best year to trial something differ- ent, being the first year postOlympics and there is a long way until the next games.
“So if there was a time to try something else and move off the ITU path this is probably the best year to do it.
“I don’t want to shut the door on ITU at all. If I do enjoy it and it suits me more ... and think I can do better at it then that’s where I’ll stay.”
Given there will be a discretionary spot up for grabs early next year it would give Fisher time to make a late play for the Commonwealth Games should he decide to.
Fisher is now racing the clock to move from 87th on the rankings to inside the 40 needed to qualify before the June 30 deadline.
The Burleigh resident will have just two races to do it as he prepares to compete at 70.3 Busselton on May 7 in Western Australia before taking part in either 70.3 Raleigh in North Carolina or 70.3 Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. Both are on June 4.
“There is a bit of pressure to get some points but there’s not much I can do about it,” Fisher said.
“A lot of those guys are only a couple of points in front because they have done a lot of races.”