Aussie surfer Gilmore hopes to ride Olympic waves of success

Cathy Freeman's memorable run to Olympic gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics is a moment her compatriot Stephanie Gilmore wants to emulate in Tokyo next year, she has told AFP.

The 31-year-old will bid to become the first women's Olympic surfing champion, and with seven world titles to her name, the odds are in her favour.

Gilmore, who began surfing aged 10 and first competed on the world circuit seven years later, says Freeman storming down the straight in Sydney to secure 400 metres gold was etched in the memory of the then-13-year-old.

"Watching her (Freeman) win blew my mind," Gilmore told AFP at the Laureus Awards.

"I was so inspired thinking she was a super hero, the suit she had on with the hood and everything.

"Imagine the pressure of the entire world, not just Australia, on her shoulders. She did it so cool, calm and collected, incredible.

"So when I heard surfing was in the Olympics, I said to myself, 'Great I want to try and have a moment like that'."
"There are swimmers who break world records in other competitions, but they get to the Olympics and when they get there they crumble and you ask what went wrong there."
- 'A humbling experience' -
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"It can really enhance WSL (World Surfing League) events. Maybe we will bring a whole new audience and they will fall in love with it."
"You are being paid to surf, it is crazy."