Willy Benson ponders his chances of qualifying for Rio. Photo / Warren Buckland
Mates of Hawke's Bay swimmer Willy Benson could be excused if they offered to do a concussion test on him.
That's in the wake of the Heretaunga Sundevils head coach's decision to attempt to qualify for the Rio Olympics eight years after Benson, 28, last competed at Olympic Games level.
On March 30 Benson will attempt to qualify in the 50m freestyle and two days later in the 100m freestyle at the New Zealand Open Championships in Auckland.
"I've really enjoyed my coaching and the philosophies I have developed. I wish I had done a bit of this when I was swimming earlier on. But I didn't want to be 40 and regret not having a shot," Benson said.
"You regret the things you don't try and you are only young once," he said.
"There might have been one or two Kiwi swimmers who have tried this in the past but I know there haven't been any who have had five years of premier club rugby and beat up their body like I have in between," said the former MAC and Napier Old Boys Marist loosie.
A member of the New Zealand 4 x 100m freestyle relay team which finished 11th overall at the Beijing Olympics, Benson, said there was more depth in New Zealand swimming than there was in 2008 so the chances of forming a handy relay team were high.
"You can only control your bit and hope it all comes together on the qualifying day.
In my case those qualifying swims will follow 18 months of preparation," the self-coached Benson said.
Since November 2014, Benson, has been based in Melbourne while he trains for his qualification swims.
This allows him to work with successful strength and conditioning coach Dieter Roylance who has a diverse range of athletes on his books and is also working with Benson's younger brother Paul who is hoping to qualify for Rio in the 100m butterfly.
To qualify in the 50m freestyle Benson has to stop the clock at 22.2s or better and in the 100m freestyle he has to go under 50s. In 2008 his split time in the relay was 48.65s.
Benson could have added the 50m fly to his New Zealand Open champs workload but there is no Olympic Games qualifying standard time for this event.
He is the New Zealand short course champion over this distance as well as the Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland states champion.
Last year he also made three World Cup finals in the 50m fly.
"Early on in my career I could have managed that workload but at my age and size I don't bounce back after four hours like I used to," Benson said.
While at 95kgs he is 12kgs heavier than he was in Beijing Benson said he does not need to drop any weight.
"My main work on will be to improve my endurance over the last 10m."
Howick Pakuranga's Dan Hunter, 22, is the bloke Benson ranked as his toughest rival on the national scene.
"He is a big fellah. There are also plenty of other exciting youngsters who have come through over the last two years so there is a good foundation for a relay team."
Benson praised the work his Sundevils coaches, Franco October and Lucas du Rossi, are putting in with the 100 swimmers at their Flaxmere base while he is across the Tasman.
"Our numbers are growing and our training philosophies and club culture continues to grow.
To us it's not just about producing good athletes... it's also about producing good people who are good at their school work and also with time management," the 2005 Hastings Boys' High School dux said.
Benson will return to Melbourne next week for his final training stretch before returning in March for the Auckland-hosted Opens.
"Everything going to plan I won't be back in the Bay fulltime until September.
If I don't qualify I will probably be beating my body up playing club footy again," Benson joked.
While Benson's mates might have him on about his quest they also know they would be fools to bet too heavily against him pulling on the silver fern in Rio.
Previous history is proof there aren't too many of his goals which haven't been ticked off.