Legendary Australian surfer Mick Fanning will return to the water at next week's Fiji Pro.
Fanning, who is taking a sabbatical this season after drama-filled 2015, finished 13th and third respectively in the first two events of the year on the Gold Coast and at Bells Beach before missing the Margaret River Pro and the last competition in Rio.
However, he has been confirmed as a starter for Cloudbreak, slotted alongside fellow-Australian Kai Otten and France's Jeremy Flores for a first-round heat starting on Sunday.
The 34-year-old said he would surf intermittently when he announced he would be taking a personal year in February.
He also indicated he would likely surf at Jeffrey's Bay in South Africa, where he survived a shark attack while competing in a final against fellow-Australian Julian Wilson last year.
Fanning finished second in last year's world title, beaten by Brazilian Adrian de Souza at the season-ending Pipe Masters in Hawaii, in the same week where the Australian's brother Peter died of heart issues.
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