Tauranga-trained black belt Verina Wihongi, pictured, is on the comeback trail and hasn't ruled out a tilt at next year's London Olympics - eight years after she was part of the New Zealand team in Athens.
Based in Balclutha where she is a sharemilker, Wihongi was at the weekend's New Zealand
federation taekwondo championships at Tauranga's QEII Youth Centre.
But she didn't land a kick or throw one punch in anger - the 3rd dan black belt opted out of the competition arena to give the up-and-coming female black belts a decent crack.
"I could have fought but I know it is daunting for a young black belt to get out on the mat with me - it'd be no fun for them or me. The last thing I want is to come off as the big baddy and pit the crowd against me."
Wihongi flew north to Tauranga as part of Kesi O'Neill's Mt Maunganui-based Team KO, although her appearances at training have been sporadic.
"It's a fairly long way to come up from Otago to train! I do most of my training down south and Kesi's more of a mentor to me, phoning me often to encourage me and check on how I'm going."
Wihongi competed at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, finishing ninth in the 67kg division in what she describes as "two hesitant performances".
She then took a break to concentrate on her two children and her job as a sharemilker, stepping back on to the mat a year ago. It's been a winning return. The 33-year-old won the New Zealand Open in Tauranga a year ago stepping up to the 73kg class, won the New Zealand championships in Auckland and bronze at the Oceania championships in New Caledonia.
She fought recently at the world champs in Korea, eliminated in the second round by a Croat fighter who went on to win silver.
"I'm unsure about London next year, although I'm a lot keener than I was a year ago. There's another national team going away soon so my chances will depend a lot on how they do. September is Oceania Olympic qualifying so I should have more idea then where I'm at."
