Wollongong's Emma Tonegato is determined to secure a spot in the Australian Olympic team when she returns from injury at the Oceania Sevens.
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The Rio gold medalist initially feared her Tokyo dream was over in February when she had surgery after fracturing and dislocating her right shoulder.
The operation was Tonegato's third since 2016 and left her racing the clock to be fit for the Olympics.
After surpassing her recovery goals, the 26-year-old has the chance to secure her place in the Tokyo squad at this weekend's Oceania Sevens.
"The moment I got injured, I thought my Olympic dream was shattered," Tonegato said. "At best, I thought I'd potentially make the Games with no game time but the recovery's gone super well and I'm ahead of schedule.
"It's been a journey to get here, but I'm excited to be here and have the opportunity to get game time before the Tokyo selections.
"I just want to get back on the field, get my confidence up, have fun and put my best foot forward for selection for Tokyo."
Tonegato's return comes as the Australian women's side looks to build towards the form that saw them defeat New Zealand in the gold-medal match at the 2016 Olympic Games.
Australia has struggled against their Trans Tasman rivals since Rio, losing five out of six games when they played last month.
This weekend's tournament in Townsville will see Australia face Fiji on Friday afternoon before a clash with New Zealand on Saturday.
While an unbeaten run would be ideal, Tonegato said her side remains focused on improving with each game to ensure they are at their best in Japan.
"These matches are crucial. We weren't too sure if we would get any game time before the Olympics, so to get that chance to play in New Zealand and again here and against Fiji as well is important. It gives us time to work on our combinations and finesse those finer skills.
"We're not expecting to be amazing. These matches are a long-time coming, so there are a few cobwebs to blow out. We're working hard, it's nice to be able to get on the field together and hopefully we'll put our best foot forward."
Australian coach John Manenti has named a near full-strength squad for this weekend's event, Tonegato joined by a number of Rio goal medalists, including Chloe Dalton, Charlotte Caslick and Ellia Green.
With the Sevens World Series shut down by coronavirus more than a year ago, Manenti said every match is vital in the team's preparations for Tokyo.
"We took a lot of learning out of our recent games against New Zealand, and we have been working on improving these issues to play our brand of rugby against New Zealand and Fiji," Manenti said.
"This tournament allows us to test some final combinations ahead of confirming our Olympic squad, while also giving other players to make their claim for a spot on the plane to Tokyo."