Sally Fitz Will Accept Nothing Less Than A 2020 Olympic Bid

The 2019 Championship Tour will be the most competitive season in the WSL’s 43 five year history, for the simple fact that Olympic qualification slots are on the line. 

Typically in a CT season, there are two primary “races” happening: the World Title race and the requalification race. Surfers are also vying for top-5 and top-10 finishes to earn sponsor bonuses, but those are happening more internally rather than in the public view. So essentially every season is an ongoing battle between the top three and bottom 12 surfers. 

This year, however, there are 10 Olympic slots available to CT men and eight for CT women, meaning that surfers who are near the top of the pack but not quite of  “World Title caliber” will have a new, lofty goal to aspire to in 2019. Despite the public’s reservations about surfing in the Olympics, we can assure you that all CT athletes want a piece of Tokyo 2020. 

Sally Fitzgibbons is no exception. 

Sally Pitz. Photo: WSL

While a World Title has always been Sally’s ultimate career goal, she’s shifted her focus slightly in 2019.  

“My dream is definitely to go to the Olympics – to go to Tokyo,” Sally said while cruising around in her white Land Rover. “Finish in the top-2 of your country and you’re going to the Olympics next year. I want to wear Green and Gold. I want to go to Japan. My sport’s in it now, so I want to aspire to be in that.”

A World Title this year would also guarantee Sally’s slot on the 2020 team, so in a perfect world, she’d sink two birds with one silver cup.

Following Snapper, Sally is the number one ranked Aussie on the Women’s Tour, so she’s right on her way to Tokyo. Let’s see if she can hang on throughout the season.