IT’S TIME TO REFOCUS
What are our superstars doing now instead of competing for Olympic gold in Tokyo? We take a look at some of our best and brightest and how they are keeping themselves motivated for another year of hard work to make Australia proud
JESSICA FOX (CANOEING)
FOR two-time Olympic medallist Fox, the “jabs of disappointment” appear every time she looks down at her mobile phone.
Typed into her calendar remains the most special of dates, which she had spent four years counting down every day towards: ‘leaving for Tokyo’; ‘moving into the Olympic Village’; and ‘Opening Ceremony’.
But even as the reality sets in that this weekend will be spent at home in Penrith, instead of the Tokyo village, Fox is already preparing for a hopeful Games re-run in 2021.
“It’s funny because I haven’t deleted everything out of my calendar,’’ Fox, who won bronze in the K1 event at the 2016 Olympics, said.
“Last week, it said ‘leaving for Tokyo’ and just seeing these messages, were little jabs of disappointment.
“But, at the same time, it was also exciting in a way to think about how I am going to feel this time next year?”
Fox, one of the world’s greatest slalom canoe and kayak paddlers, spent almost three months out of the rapids during the COVID-19 isolation period between March-May.
“I’ve really tried to focus on different areas of my preparation, doing a gym block and getting stronger and more flat-water canoe work, which is something I wouldn’t normally do and already I feel that has been beneficial.”
ROHAN DENNIS (CYCLING)
WORLD champion Dennis spent the best part of three months riding on an indoor
trainer at his home in Spain during the COVID-19 lockdown.
But having returned to the road, his next step is returning to racing which will come with the Tour of Poland.
“There’s some anxiety about racing again but also some excitement,’’ he said. “I haven’t been in the peloton for nearly 12 months apart from Tour Down Under.
“But I’m excited because I want to get back to doing my job and seeing where I’m at.”
He says he is fully committed for Tokyo 2021. “Yes, 100 per cent, at first it really annoyed me that we may not be doing it but then I took a step back and saw there are some positives to my preparation,” Dennis said.
WILL RYAN & MAT BELCHER (SAILING)
NEVER mind the boat — the past six months has been nothing but hurdles for the pair.
They were training in Spain for the European season when coronavirus took hold.
“Everything had been pretty well structured from 14 months out to be peaking at the right time ... it’s been a bit of a reset,” Ryan said.
Further hampering the 470 men’s team training plans has been the fact Belcher lives in Queensland, where strict border measures mean Ryan cannot enter.
They usually train on the Gold Coast but have been meeting in Coffs Harbour.
“It’s midway meeting point, so that’s been a good chance to get back on the
water and feel like we’re somewhere between making progress and keeping our hand in,” Ryan said.
“Just trying to mentally stay motivated which is a challenge, as we’re drawn to competition and racing.’’
SALLY FITZGIBBONS (SURFING)
EVER since she was a little girl, Fitzgibbons has dreamt of competing at the Olympics.
So, what does waiting another 12 months matter?
But even for one of Australian
sporting champions most optimistic, positive and bullish athletes, the torment of training every day without a finish line in sight, has been challenging.
“Your overall outlook feels a bit like, ‘I don’t exactly know what I’m aiming for’?
“But then you realise you can’t buy into the stuff that you can’t control.’’
ARIARNE TITMUS (SWIMMING)
TITMUS was one of the last people to find out the Tokyo Olympics had been postponed because, on the day news broke, she was asleep.
She had 30 messages on her phone but it wasn’t until she called her coach and he told her training was cancelled that it sank in.
Still a teenager, the idea of waiting another 12 months to make her Olympic debut was a crushing moment for the reigning world champion but she’s turned it into a positive.
“We still have our chance, it’s still going to hopefully happen next year so I try not to dwell on it,” she said.
“I think I’ve had my closure over the past few months and I’m just excited to get back to life as normal.”