Jack Robinson targets World Surf League crown as tight title chase resumes after Olympic break

An Olympic silver medal has fuelled Jack Robinson’s surfing world title ambitions as competition returns to Fiji’s iconic Cloudbreak to decide the Finals-bound top five.

Only rankings leader John John Florence of Hawaii is assured of a spot in next month’s title decider at Lower Trestles in California, where five surfers will compete in a one-day, winner-take-all showdown.

With Fiji the last stop before then, West Australian Robinson is currently ranked No.3 while fellow Australian Olympian Ethan Ewing sits fifth, with only 5065 points separating third and Brazil’s two-time event winner and Games bronze medallist Gabriel Medina in eighth.

The Championship Tour hasn’t had an event in Fiji since 2017, however Cloudbreak has already been announced as the location for next year’s Finals day while retiring legend Kelly Slater, a four-time champion, returns for this event as a wildcard.

In the women’s field American No.1 Caitlin Simmers has a Finals berth locked in while Australia’s Molly Picklum is fourth but after a series of quarter-final exits needs to find form to hold her place.

Surfers collect 10,000 points for a win, 7800 for runner-up, 6085 for making a semi-final and 4745 as a quarter-finalist.

Robinson told AAP he wasn’t getting too caught up in the maths, backing himself to do well enough in his first-ever Fiji CT competition to make the cut.

Cloudbreak shares many similarities with the waves of Olympic venue Teahupo’o, with both left-handers breaking over shallow coral reefs, which should suit Robinson given his technical ability riding backside barrels.

“I don’t really think about it too much; the day will come and we’ll start the comp but I’m in a bit of a different space and I’m not stressing, I’m just enjoying it,” the 26-year-old said from Fiji.

“I do think about the event but just like being in this place (Fiji), and I’m loving what I’m doing surfing-wise so I’m in a good place with that too.

“I’‘ve just been fishing here and enjoying this place more than worrying about the contest.”

Robinson won Australia’s first silver medal in Olympic surfing, falling to local hero Kauli Vaast in the final in Tahiti earlier this month.

While Australia has always celebrated its top surfers, Robinson said awareness of the sport from the general public had rocketed since the Games.

“There’s so many more people that the Olympics reaches outside of surfing, it’s way bigger, even like grandmas and granddads and people that maybe wouldn’t always watch it are like ‘I watched you in Tahiti’ so it’s been really good for the sport,” he said.

Rather than be happy to savour his silver medal, Robinson said it had stoked the fire to capture his first world crown.

“I want to chase that, even more than before,” he said.

“The Olympics was just so exciting, coming down to the final and it fuels the fire competitively even more so that’s super cool.”

The competition’s event window runs August 20-29.

Men’s top 10 and rankings points.

1. John John Florence (USA) 46,210

2. Griffin Colapinto (USA) 36,600

3. Jack Robinson (AUS) 34,045

4. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 34,045

5. Ethan Ewing (AUS) 31,995

6. Yago Dora (BRA) 31,635

7. Jordy Smith (RSA) 31,055

8. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 28,980

9. Crosby Colapinto (USA) 25,440

10. Rio Waida (IDN) 24,375

Women’s top 10 and rankings points

1. Caitlin Simmers (USA) 48,185

2. Caroline Marks (USA) 42,490

3. Brisa Hennessy (CRI) 41,630

4. Molly Picklum (AUS) 39,390

5. Gabriela Ryan (USA) 38,595

6. Johanne Defay (FRA) 37,255

7. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 35,100

8. Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 32,920

9. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (USA) 32, 545

10. Tyler Wright (AUS) 27,505