Exclusive: Japan's TSUZUKI Amuro is "aiming for gold" at  Tokyo 2020 and has a huge advantage

TSUZUKI Amuro started the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games like a boss.

After a couple of jitters in Round 1 at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach in Ichinomiya town, Chiba, the 20-year-old owned Round 2 scoring 6.00 on Wave 1 and 5.60 on Wave 2 for a total of 11.60, topping the table ahead of South African surfer Bianca Buitendag and Japanese teammate MAEDA Mahina.

And she beat Brazil's Tatiana Weston Webb in Round 3.

The first Japanese woman to earn a spot on the WSL Tour, a junior world champion, she booked her berth at these home Olympics via the World Games and wasn't going to let the opportunity be taken out by the tide.

"I will do my best to aim for a gold medal for the Olympics," she tells Olympics.com.

Read the full interview with Japan's great surfing hope here, as she tells us where it all began, how a swimmer's words inspired her, and why she "definitely" has an advantage on Tsurigasaki Beach.

TSUZUKI Amuro: Late starter to surfing

Olympics.com (Oly): When did you start surfing?

Amuro-san (TA): I was born in Saitama Prefecture, but I moved to Fujisawa when I was three years old. I did classical ballet until I was in 4th grade, and then I started surfing in 5th grade.

I started late!

Oly: So you started surfing when you were about ten years old?

TA: Yes, I started when I was ten. I did classical ballet until the fifth grade, and then after I quit ballet, I wanted to do something that I could work really hard at, and surfing was something that was close to home. My older brother and father were surfing hard at the time, and that kind of influenced me to get into surfing, a bit unexpectedly, but naturally.

My younger brother surfs too, but he doesn't really take surfing seriously, he just does it for fun. Then my dad takes videos and helps me with every practice session.

Being out there in nature: "That's what I like about surfing"

Oly: What's the difference between surfing and other sports?

TA: I feel that surfing is different from other sports in that you interact with nature. The fact that there are not the same waves in the ocean makes surfing different from other sports, and that is what I like about surfing.

Oly: Have you always loved the ocean, mountains, and nature since you were a child?

TA: Yes. I've loved playing in the water since I was little, and I used to go to the beach a lot to play. I am happy that I am still able to devote myself fully to sports that allow me to interact with water.

A day in the life of TSUZUKI Amuro

Oly: Can you walk us through a normal day for you?

TA: Normally I wake up at 6:00 a.m., go into the ocean at around 7:00 a.m. and practise for about two hours, come out and have lunch, and then head back to practice in the evening for three or four hours. Then, after the evening practice, I go for a run before dinner. Then I eat dinner, and call it a day.

Oly: Do you do any other training, like gym work or weights, machines?

TA: I don't do a lot of machine training, but I work out with my physical trainer once every three days on some kinds of movements related to surfing.

Olympic memories

Oly: What are your memories of the Olympics?

TA: Olympic memories... I've been asked this question a lot, and I've said it before, but KITAJIMA Kosuke's line, "It feels super good," has left a deep impression on me.

[Kitajima is a four-time Japanese Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer, he did a historic 100m/200m breastroke golden double at Beijing 2008 and Athens 2004, and his delighted screams after his victories went viral, when going viral wasn't easy.

"Cho-kimochi-ii", he screamed o the poolside media at Athens 2004, which translates as something like "I feel super good". The phrase entered the popular consciousness and "gained such popularity throughout Japan that it was regarded the best neologism in Japan for 2004 and awarded at the Vogue Words contest," according to The Guardian. Now he's still a national icon.]

TA: I was in elementary school at the time, so I was really shocked that his words got so much attention. I still remember how popular it was at school, and how everyone would say things like, 'That feels super good.' In that sense, I thought the power of the Olympics was amazing. The influence of the athletes and the various emotions contained in the words can reach the people of Japan thanks to the Olympics, and I think the influence that the Olympics has on people is amazing.

TSUZUKI Amuro's inspirations

Oly: Who is the person who inspires you the most?

TA: I would have to say the people who support me. I get inspired when I meet other top athletes, but it's the people who support me that make me want to do my best. My family, sponsors, and many other people support me, and every word they say touches my heart.

TSUZUKI's home advantage: Four years practice at the Olympic venue

Oly: So you how much do you know about the waves on Tsurigasaki beach in Ichinomiya, where the Olympic surfing competition is taking place?

TA: Until junior high school, I practised at a local beach called Kugenuma Beach in Fujisawa City, and from my first year of high school I moved my base to Chiba. It's not like I've been surfing in Chiba since I was a kid, but I've been practising there for about four years, including when I was in high school, so I think I know the waves there to a certain extent.

Oly: So that's a big advantage for you then?

TA: Definitely.

I've been practising a lot at the Olympic venue, so it's time to focus on adjusting my mind for the competition in the next two weeks and a half. In surfing, I believe that if I can show my ability, I can win a medal. I'm not worried about surfing. I'm only worried about my mind, and I'll do my best to control it.

Oly: What do you do to maintain your mental health, your motivation, your peace of mind?

TA: I try to do a lot. It's my first time at the Olympics, and since I'm going to be on a big, big stage, I'm sure I'll be nervous, so I'm just trying to imagine the Olympics and the people who might be watching. The atmosphere is completely different from the usual competition, and I try to imagine that when I'm surfing.