Drysdale contemplating switching allegiance to Fiji
AUCKLAND: Mahe Drysdale is considering switching allegiance to Fiji in a bid to race at the Tokyo Olympics.
The twotime Olympic champion missed out on the New Zealand single sculls berth for the international season when Robbie Manson was selected ahead of him after beating Drysdale in two races over the past month.
The results mean Manson will compete at the world championships in Austria.
But Drysdale is determined to row for New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympics and wants to remain focused on the single sculls. If Rowing New Zealand does not allow him to compete at world cup regattas, at which countries can enter more than one boat in a category, he may row for another country.
‘‘There’s nothing stopping me going and joining a club in Fiji and getting the Fijian Rowing Federation to OK my entry for the world cups . . . that’s just the way the world cups work,’’ Drysdale told Radio New Zealand.
‘‘They are open to any athlete that’s a member for a club in that country.
‘‘It’s certainly something that I don’t want to do but is something that I’d have to look at if it all turns to custard.’’
Rowing New Zealand is yet to decide if it will support Drysdale in the single sculls or move him to another boat — such as joining returning Olympic champion Hamish Bond in the eight.
Manson, who finished a disappointing fifth the previous two times he held the seat at the world championships, said he had learnt much from the past couple of years and was excited to improve on those performances.
‘‘I feel like I learnt a lot last year and the year before so every year is a new opportunity to learn. And yeah practise what I’ve learnt from the year before and put it into practice.
‘‘I think it’s just working with my coach, Mike [Rodger], who I’m really excited to have and the physiologist. I really trust Mike’s eye with the technique and really keeping them going right through.
‘‘I think also staying in Europe the whole time this year will make a significant difference. And yeah it’s great to be able to stay there for the whole three months and prepare properly for the world champs.’’
He is hopeful Rowing New Zealand will see things his way.
— NZME