Manson confident he can shake off rib injury

The world’s fastest single sculler Robbie Manson is confident a niggling rib injury won’t impact on his prospects of capping a terrific year with success at the world championships in Florida in four weeks’ time.

Manson won both his World Cup finals earlier this year in Poznan, Poland — in a world best time of 6m 30.74s — then Lucerne, Switzerland with sizzling performances.

However he picked up some pain shortly after Poznan, which he’s still endeavouring to fully shake off.

“It never completely went away,” Manson, 27, said yesterday. “I had a bone scan and it came up with a hot spot. It felt like something was not quite right.

“It flared up a couple of weeks ago and it’s meant I’ve been training on the bike instead of on the water.”

Now it’s healing, Manson hopes to have three weeks on the water which, with his immense base fitness level, should ensure he’s still the man for the others to chase in Sarasota.

Manson failed to fire at the Rio Olympics last August when he and teammate Chris Harris finishing in a disappointing 11th place in the men’s double sculls. “There have been times in my career when the wheels have fallen off at the final hurdle. I don’t want it to be the case this time around, so I’m doing everything I can to make sure I’m 100 per cent.”

The single scull role is a storied position in New Zealand rowing after the deeds of Rob Waddell (2000 Olympics gold) and Mahe Drysdale (2008 Olympic bronze, and 2012 and 2016 gold). Drysdale has taken time out since Rio last year but was back on the water at Lake Karapiro yesterday. His plans are unclear talking to Rowing New Zealand officials.

Regardless, Manson is determined to make the job his at the Tokyo Games in 2020.

“I’ve definitely surprised myself [this year]. At the beginning of it all I said ‘I just want to see how I go, make A finals and if I get a medal great’. I’ve far exceeded anything I thought possible already this year.”

The New Zealand squad head to Florida on September 14.