Chris Erickson is preparing for his third Olympics in the hopes of completing a journey started by his father, Tim Erickson, a Commonwealth Games race walker who qualified for two Olympics but due to boycotts and funding issues in the '70s and '80s was never able to compete
"It had been a driving point in my career to get myself to the Olympics so the Erickson name could finally be on the start sheet for an Olympics," Erickson said.
He qualified for his first Olympics in the 20 kilometre race walk in Beijing in 2008, but midway through his maiden appearance it all went wrong.
Erickson was disqualified for the first time in his career for allegedly breaking contact with the ground.
"I can recall sitting in the bowels of the stadium and bawling my eyes out because I had finally gotten to the Olympics and it had all gone completely and utterly wrong," he said
Qualifying again for the 20 kilometre event in London, Erickson finished 35th but now he's hoping for redemption in the 50km event in Brazil as both an athlete and coach.
Erickson mentored fellow athlete Brendon Reading to qualification and will now compete against him in Rio.
Willi Sawall and Tim Erickson at the 1978 Commonwealth Games 30km trial. Source: Supplied
He said the pairing will be beneficial for Reading, who won't have restricted access to his coach as many other athletes do.
"I'll be able to help him along the way and let him know what to expect when he gets there, and almost hold his hand throughout the whole experience if you like so it'll be a fantastic experience for both of us."
For his own performance, Erickson said he was aiming for a top eight finish in Rio, but with his fitness and preparations on track he admits he is entertaining dreams of standing on the podium.
"I'm not going to lie I go to bed most nights thinking about having a medal around my neck and hearing the national anthem," he said.
Coach Brent Vallance said Erickson's biggest competition are race walkers from Russia, that's if an IAAF doping ban is lifted in time for the country's athletics team to compete.
"There are a trio of Russian athletes who are very strong, if they show up on the start line given their current ban at the moment."
One of those Russian athletes is London Olympic 50 kilometre gold medalist, Sergey Kirdyapkin.
A decision is expected at any time as to whether Kirdyapkin will be stripped of his 2012 honours, meaning Australian race walker Jared Tallent could win the country's first ever gold medal in the event.
Vallance said it would be retribution for Tallent.
"There was a case to say they were running a systematic doping system even before the 2012 London Olympics, so you couldn't help but leave London knowing he [Tallent] was beaten by a drug cheat."
Chris Erickson is still hoping to qualify for the 20km event in addition to the 50km, and double his chances of his first Olympic medal in Rio.
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