Team USA's track and field qualifications won't take place until late June, but if the Paris roster looks anything like the past two Summer Olympics it will have the name Chris Benard attached to the triple jump.
Benard, 34, made the 2016 and 2020 Olympic teams in this event which is both physically and technically demanding, but he isn't letting "the grind" dampen his optimism for a 3rd straight Olympics.
"For whatever reason, blessing, knowledge, I've just been able to maintain at a high level for a long time. It's still fun. I still have passion and I know I can still be very competitive" said Benard.
Benard lives in Chula Vista and trains regularly at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center where he feels like, "the old guy out there."
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Of the 50 top-ranked triple jumpers in the world right now Benard is the oldest.
"I do hold it in high regard to even be competitive at this point in my life, so to qualify for the Olympics and get a medal would be one of the best things I ever did," said Benard.
His coach, Jeremy Fischer, who has become one of the most successful jumping coaches in the world over the past three Summer Olympics and Paralympics, calls Benard a hard worker who is both physically and mentally gifted.
"He's a very cognitive, very thoughtful, very mindful athlete. It takes a lot, I mean it's hard to be locked in for two Olympics, let alone three Olympics" said Fischer.
Fischer prides himself on finding functional out-of-the-box training routines to get the most out of his athletes.
NBC 7 caught up with Benard during one of those training sessions inside Compass Gymnastics in Chula Vista, where he and nearly a dozen other jumpers practiced their technique on springboard and foam pits.
The training, which allows the athletes to get into max velocity, high-intensity positions without the pounding on their joints is especially welcomed by Benard.
He says he has been waiting for his body to kick him out of the sport for a while now, but with the Paris countdown close, his body and mind are locked in on another run at the Olympics, and maybe this time, the medal stand too.
5 Things To Know About Chris Benard:
- Has been living and training in Chula Vista since 2013
- Enjoys music, skateboarding, and video games
- Attended Riverside Community College and Arizona State University
- Has a personal record of 57 ft 4 inches (almost the length of a bowling lane)
- Passionate about meditation, mindfulness, and mental health
