The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics until 2021 could be a blessing in disguise for Kiwi boxer David Nyika, burnt out after a hectic qualifying campaign.
Nyika, 24, just last month became the first Kiwi boxer to seal Olympic qualification since 2004, forced to travel across Asia, Europe and the Middle East due to the impacts of coronavirus.
The Hamilton native's travel schedule took its toll on the Commonwealth Games' 2018 heavyweight gold medallist and he faced the prospect of having to recharge his batteries as quickly as possible before this year's games in Tokyo.
However, with the global coronavirus pandemic seeing the Tokyo Olympics now taking place in 2021, Nyika can take time to recover both physically and mentally, before getting back into the swing of training for the biggest event of his amateur career.
"I think I needed a bit of downtime," Nyika told 1 NEWS.
"If I'm being 100 per cent honest, I don't think I would have been going into the Olympics at full steam.
"The craziness of the last couple of the months has taken a toll on the body, on the mind.
"It's going to be hard to get that momentum back rolling again, but that's kind of the nature of our sport, we have to roll with the punches."
That travel schedule not to be understated either, Nyika just one of several Kiwi fighters left scrambling across the globe to try and seal their Olympic spots.
The Commonwealth Games champion has been backwards and forwards to Asia, Europe and the Middle East before winning his quarter final at the Olympic qualifying event in Jordan.
What's more, the nature of the spread of coronavirus giving no certainty as to when qualifying may resume for a number of hopefuls.
"Having to travel to Thailand, then back home, then to Italy, then making a quick escape to Vienna.
"We got rejected on our flight to Oman, Jordan. So we basically had to fly to Frankfurt, killing a bit of time.
"We had to get an exemption to get through to Jordan. It was pretty stressful. It's never something you want to have to deal with going into a pinnacle event like Olympic qualifying.
His status as an Olympian now sealed though, and his Tokyo dream on hold for 12 months at least, Nyika can recover and train at his own pace for the time being.
Nyika making the most of his current surroundings in Covid-19 lockdown, getting out to train in his neighbourhood to keep himself in fighting shape.
"I've got a boxing bag that I sling over a tree at Hamilton Boys' High School, which is 200 metres down the road, which is really handy.
"My flat have been doing bootcamps down on the concrete cricket pitch. We've been staying really busy.
"It's been a really good release in such a tense time."
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