Canoe Slalom: Gibb giving it all to get to Rio

Ben Gibb competes at the recent national championships at the National Whitewater Centre of Excellence in Shannon, near Palmerston North. Photo / Ian Mercer

National canoe slalom champion Ben Gibb is "hungry" to qualify for next year's Olympics in Rio, as he gears up for a northern summer of competition in Europe.

The 23-year-old Okere Falls athlete took gold in the men's C1 event at Shannon's National Whitewater Centre of Excellence over the Easter weekend.

Now he is back to training and coaching for the next month before heading to the northern hemisphere for World Cup Series races in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, France and Spain.

In September, Gibb will be in London for the 2015 Canoe Slalom World Championship, where he will have the chance to gain qualification for Rio 2016.

"It's a goal I've had for a while. It would mean a lot going up to that," Gibb said.

"When it's windy and the weather is bad it gives a drive to get up in the morning, and push that extra five per cent."

Gibb began canoeing aged 13 while studying at Tauranga Boys' College. He made the New Zealand junior team when he was 16, and has travelled to Europe to compete each year since. "It's fun to go over and get a feel for it and see friends on the tour."

He just missed out on a place at London 2012 after a mix-up over the number of country slots allocated to his event, and is determined to make it this time.

"It makes you hungry to be at the next one."

A lot of potential Olympians spend all their waking hours training, but Gibb has other commitments he manages to keep up with.

He is in the last stages of an extramural business studies degree through Massey University, and also coaches secondary school students at Okere Falls.

Gibb said he felt it was important to "give something back" to the sport through his coaching.

Despite such a packed schedule, he "is always on time and going the extra mile in training", said the head coach of Canoe Slalom NZ, Aaron Osborne.

"Ben has shown his commitment over the last couple of years, dedicating most of his time to training along with travelling to Europe to further develop his skills.

"In his spare time he is studying or helping coaching with the local club. He is very powerful and is progressing well in his technical development."

A great canoe slalom athlete, according to Osborne, "requires a lot of determination, commitment and feel for the water. They must love the sport."

It is a sentiment echoed by Gibb.

"The main thing is to enjoy it. It would be a lot of time and money to spend on something you don't enjoy."