Otherwise, the Canberra aerial skier would have felt like she was missing out at the Beijing Games in February.

Those Games look set to be held under tough COVID-19 restrictions. Just as next month's Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo will be. No crowds and no mingling with other athletes in the village.

Peel is ready for what's to come - having spent the past European winter competing and travelling under strict coronavirus protocols.

The 31-year-old previously competed at the PyeongChang Games three years ago and Sochi in 2014.

She was grateful she had lived full Olympic experience both times.

"It's going to be my third Games and I think it's going to be very different to my last two," Peel said.

"I'm pleased that it's not my only Olympics because it may miss a lot of the atmosphere of the village and all the other things that come with the Olympic Games might be missing a little bit for the athletes.

"But I also feel like travelling this year, we got used to all the Covid protocols - getting tested every three days, got the mask on everywhere you go, hand sanitiser - it feels like you're using litres of it a day.

"So I think we were able to manage the situation very well this year, so I feel as prepared as I can be, but I know it's definitely going to be different than previous games."

Not that it will deter her from going.

Peel felt she hadn't produced her best yet, having finished fifth in South Korea and seventh in Russia.

Now, she will be going in as the reigning world champion, the holder of the Crystal Globe and winner of two World Cups - plus whatever else she can win in the next European winter.

"It doesn't put me off. I love what I do, I love my sport and I don't feel like I've got the best out of myself yet, so still more to come," she said.

"Obviously the Olympics is a big goal and I love pushing myself and seeing where I can get to with my sport."

Peel is already in Switzerland, where she will work with her coaches right through until Beijing.

Peel spent some time doing strength and conditioning at the Victorian Institute of Sport last month, before testing out the new water ramp facility in Brisbane for the first time.

It's all with one goal in mind. And given her form it's a completely realistic one. Now she just needs to stay fit.

"I'd love to walk away with an Olympic gold medal. A lot of people would. I would love to add an Olympic medal to the collection," Peel said.

"I'm in a good position. I don't want to get complacent because I know there's a lot of great athletes.

"Definitely with the carrot of the Olympics dangling in front of them everyone's going to be working really hard this year.

"There's a lot of people that have dreamt of that Olympic gold."

The uncertainty around international travel meant it was impractical to come back to Australia or Canberra before the Games in February.

Peel was Down Under for about 10 weeks - albeit with two of those spent in quarantine.

But it's a life she's used to - spending most of the year in Europe honing her craft.

Peel also felt she'd adapted well to the stringent coronavirus protocols in place wherever she's competed.

And she's got the results to prove it. Although she'd obviously prefer everything back to normal.

"At the moment it's just impossible to come and go," Peel said.

"I was happy to get back to Australia ... it's been really nice to be home for a short while, but for me I've got to work with my coaches in Switzerland so that'll be the base.

"I've been on the road for pretty much a decade now - nine to 10 months of the year - it's really exciting for us and the future of our sport as well."

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