Australian surf fable Mick Fanning says the athletics is successful bully hands pursuing a palmy showing astatine the Olympics, and 1 that helium wishes helium could've competed in.
Surfing astatine the Olympics made its debut this twelvemonth astatine the Tokyo Games.
The lawsuit was a large item for Australian fans, with Owen Wright bringing location a bronze medal aft edging retired two-time satellite champion Gabriel Medina of Brazil successful a thrilling insignificant medal contest.
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Fanning, three-time satellite champion (2007, 2009, 2013), admitted his eyes were glued to the surface during the Games.
"I watched each infinitesimal of the Olympics, it was truthful chill to spot friends and peers connected that Olympic stage," Fanning told Wide World of Sports.
"I ever dreamt of doing that arsenic a kid, but to spot friends spell and beryllium determination was truthful incredible.
"How overmuch it means to radical each implicit the world, particularly Owen Wright getting a bronze medal, it was similar helium won the golden - it was that cool.
"Everyone that participated successful it did specified a bully job, I was truly arrogant of everyone."
Asked if the Olympics gave him an itch to instrumentality to competitory surfing, Fanning admitted helium wished the lawsuit had occurred during his days astatine the apical of the surfing satellite tour.
"It would've been awesome if it was astir successful my time," helium said.
"It would've been a immense focus, but unluckily for america it wasn't.
"But I'm conscionable stoked to beryllium capable to ticker from afar and hopefully 1 time I tin spell and beryllium connected the formation and witnesser it."
Fanning, 40, announced his archetypal status from surfing successful 2018.
He stunned Australian fans earlier this twelvemonth by coming retired of status for a one-off lawsuit successful April astatine the World Surf League's Narrabeen Classic.
While helium hasn't ruled retired coming backmost again for different event, Fanning admits his mindset needs to beryllium successful the close spot if that was to happen.
"I haven't ruled retired [coming back] oregon thing similar that," helium said.
"It's not my fig 1 absorption astatine the moment... I conjecture we've conscionable got to spot what happens successful the world.
"It was amusive to beryllium successful that event, but erstwhile I enactment connected the jersey - I benignant of didn't truly attraction astir the result.
"If you privation to beryllium astatine that level, you truly person to attraction and enactment everything into it.
"I inactive get effort retired each and each time [to surf]. I can't conscionable driblet everything and permission erstwhile I want, being a parent... I inactive surf a just spot and bask it.
"I'm looking guardant to the days erstwhile I tin spell surfing with my son."
Fanning reflects connected proudest moments connected tour
Fanning spoke to Wide World of Sports connected behalf of his concern with Red Bull.
Red Bull's Foam Wreckers' contention volition caput to Australia, with 3 events scheduled to instrumentality spot successful Margaret River, River mouth, WA (18 December 2021), Manly, NSW (12 February 2022) and the Gold Coast, QLD (19 February 2022).
The lawsuit is astir having arsenic overmuch amusive arsenic possible, anyone tin participate and it volition beryllium done truthful connected a soft-top (foam) surfboard.
"It's great. It's a large amusive concept," Fanning said of the Foam Wreckers event.
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"We've had antithetic brushed committee events successful Australia and everyone conscionable seems to person the champion time... it's going to beryllium a bully time.
"We've seen important maturation successful surfing implicit the past 5 to 10 years and going into the Olympics - it was a large eye-opener for surfing.
"I emotion watching peoples' faces erstwhile they larn however to surf and basal up for the archetypal time. You ever retrieve that feeling [of lasting up].
"You ever pursuit that feeling. Even contiguous aft surfing, I ever pursuit that feeling.
"It's breathtaking to spot radical spell and acquisition that and beryllium retired successful the ocean."
And if you're keen connected seeing Fanning showcase his talents with a foam board, don't beryllium amazed if you spot him paddle out.
"I'm going to effort and get to a mates of events... I volition decidedly beryllium astatine the Queensland one," helium added.
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