Merewether surfer Ryan Callinan said representing Australia would be a career highlight after gaining selection in a star-studded side for the ISA World Surfing Games.
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The Australian line-up of Callinan, Nikki Van Dijk, Sally Fitzgibbons, seven-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore, Julian Wilson and Owen Wright was announced on Tuesday.
It is the strongest Australian team ever named for the event, which this year is part of qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Games, where the sport will make its Olympic debut.
The ISA World Surfing Games will be held in September at Miyazaki in Japan as a dress rehearsal for the Olympics.
Callinan is no stranger to success in Japan after winning the 6000-point WSL qualifying series contest, the Ichinomiya Chiba Open, last year en route to securing a return to the championship tour.
At No.7, Callinan is the highest-ranked Australian on the World Surf League CT after four stops on the 11-event series. That puts him in a strong early position to gain Olympic selection.
The top 10 eligible men and eight women, with a maximum of two per country, at the end of the 2019 CT season will earn qualification slots for Tokyo 2020.
"I'm so happy to be picked in Team Australia at the ISAs with such an impressive line-up," Callinan told Surfing Australia.
"To go with Julian, Owen, Steph, Sal and Nikki, it's like a who's who of Australian surfing.
"There's plenty of time between now and the Olympics, with a lot of work to do, but I think it's going to be an incredible journey and just to be a part of Team Australia is going to be a highlight of my career."
The 2019 ISA World Surfing Games is also an Olympic qualifier, awarding Tokyo 2020 slots on a continental basis to the top eligible men and women from Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania. The Americas' qualification slots will be determined at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games in July.
WSL stars do not typically compete at the ISA event but world No.4 Fitzgibbons returns after winning the women's title last year.
"We don't get to experience that team culture as a group very often," Fitzgibbons said.
"To come together as Aussies and really have that intention of being there for each other and our country is powerful.
"I think the rehearsal vibe for what an Olympic Games would be like and the energy at this year's ISA World Games is going to be perfect to continue to build the performance culture within Team Australia."
The ISA games start on September 7 with the parade of nations and opening ceremony before a potential start to competition the same day. The event window ends September 15.
