Competitive swimmer and coach John Flanagan is making a bid, at 31, to compete in the Olympics' debut open-water distance swimming competition. One key to his confidence: his body's reaction to losing roughly 20 pounds, thanks to a combination of running and healthier eating.

"I feel better now than I ever have," says Flanagan, who credits his wife, Rae, with helping him make better dietary choices.

"At first it scared me to be lighter than I've been since I was a sophomore in high school, but it's a good weight. If you think in terms of numbers, if I'm pulling less weight through the water but I still have the same strength, I have to be better."

That might be hard to fathom for those who have followed Flanagan's career. He was a state champion at Punahou, an NCAA champion at Auburn (where he earned his degree in finance), and a gold medalist in Open Water Team World Championships (5 kilometers) and open water team Pan Pacific Championships (25K).

For Flanagan, a master of open-water distance swimming, news of the sport's inclusion in the next Olympics was too alluring to let age get in the way.

"When I retired, I felt like I had gone as far as I could go," Flanagan says. "But when I heard they were going to have (open-water swimming) in the Olympics, it got in my head and I couldn't get it out."

Flanagan's training, coordinated via daily fax by Mainland-based coach Jack Pettinger, includes lengthy pool workouts complemented by running, ocean swimming, paddleboarding and bodysurfing.

While a younger Flanagan might not have blinked, the 31-year-old version has to balance the rigorous regimen against his responsibilities as a husband, father and coach.

Flanagan's bid for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team won't be easily redeemed. The team is favored in the event, and, as Flanagan says, "if you make the team, you will probably win a medal in the Olympics."

"If I can get back to where I was in 2001, I should be able to do it," he says. "I feel I can be better. I definitely will embrace the challenge. I'm excited for the opportunity to compete."