Wrestling: Heavyweight Carney keen to get chance for Glasgow

Missing out on a place at last year's Olympics by one spot has been eating away at wrestler Marcus Carney.

The Kiwi heavyweight was one victory away from a berth in London but lost his semifinal to Egypt's Eldesoky Shaban at the Oceania Olympic qualifying tournament in Marrakech, Morocco, in March last year and has been stewing since.

The Aucklander will have the opportunity to gain some form of redemption at next week's Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in South Africa where places will be on the line for next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Carney predicted he would need to finish in the top five or six in Johannesburg to secure a nomination.

"I feel like I've got a real good shot and I'm just very motivated after being so close to being in the Olympics," Carney said. "So it's giving me a big motivation to make sure I qualify and do well."

Carney has made a quick ascension in the wrestling circle after he won the New Zealand heavyweight division in 2011.

Before that he hadn't given the sport too much of his time as rugby league was his focus but the Sydney-born 25-year-old was sick of the injuries the 13-man code brought him and decided wrestling was a better fit.

"I just love it," he said. "The one-on-one aspect to the sport and you put the hard work in and it's up to you if you want to do well."

After missing last year's national championships with a knee injury, he roared back in Dunedin in September of this year to reclaim his national title.

His preparation for South Africa has taken on a new dimension compared to previous meets as he worked in Auckland alongside Kiwi UFC fighter Mark Hunt, who is building up to his MMA bout with Brazilian Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva in Brisbane next weekend.

Finding blokes that match up with Carney size-wise - he stands 1.85m and weighs 120kg - is always a problem but Hunt offered a great fit and is only a few centimetres shorter.

It was a relationship that was mutually beneficial as Hunt continues to strengthen his defence against takedowns in the cage.

"It was tremendous and I'm a huge fan of Mark, just by watching him on TV and fighting over the years, and to get the opportunity to train with him was bit surreal for me at first," Carney said.

"There's not a lot of big, strong guys walking around like that so it was awesome for me to lead up to the competition."

Carney suffered a late injury scare when he dislocated a finger on his right hand earlier this week while working with Hunt but the wrestler insisted it wouldn't hinder him in South Africa.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought," he said. "I just popped it back in at the hospital and it's fine now."

Carney is part of a nine-strong New Zealand team competing in South Africa that will be coached by Mark Grayling with assistance from Ross Tanner.

Team members will take part in either freestyle, Greco-Roman or both divisions, although only freestyle will be contested at next year's Commonwealth Games.