Drysdale for quad at world champs
Mahe´ Drysdale will race in the quad at the World Rowing Championships next month.
The 39-year-old had missed out on selection in the single scull, with 28-year-old Robbie Manson beating him to the one spot on offer.
But after that disappointment, the twotime Olympic champion set his sights on still making it to the year’s pinnacle event, and has done so, joining Lewis Hollows, Cameron Crampton and Nathan Flannery in the quad, when the final squad was named.
Jordan Parry was the fourth member of the quad at the last World Cup, where they won the B Final, but has lost his spot to Drysdale after trials at Lake Karapiro.
While Drysdale will race in the quad at the world championships in Bulgaria, which run from September 9-16, he has his sights set to returning to the single scull and competing at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
He didn’t compete in 2017, after winning gold at the Rio Olympics a year earlier, defending his title from London four years prior. When he returned to action, Rowing NZ decided it would allow both him and Manson to compete during the World Cup season, with the superior rower in the third of three events taking the one place on offer at the world championships.
Manson won at World Cup II in Austria in June, where Drysdale was forced to withdraw due to illness, then triumphed again at World Cup III in Switzerland last month, where Drysdale finished fourth.
Elsewhere, the only changes to the New Zealand squad from the World Cup campaign are in the men’s eight, with a shoulder injury forcing Anthony Allen out, and Joe Wright moving to the men’s reserve pair. James Lassche and Martyn O’Leary have taken their place. A newly-formed crew of Thomas Russel, Tom Mackintosh, Matt MacDonald and Angus McFarlane will contest the men’s four.
‘‘We saw an impressive performance from New Zealand during this year’s World Rowing Cup II and III, and we’re confident we’re presenting an even stronger front for the World Championships,’’ said Alan Cotter, Rowing NZ high performance director.
‘‘Despite training throughout New Zealand’s winter, we topped the medal table in Europe at World Rowing Cup III and our team have proven themselves to be very competitive.’’
‘‘We saw an impressive performance from New Zealand during this year’s World Rowing Cup II and III, and we’re confident we’re presenting an even stronger front for the World Championships.’’ Alan Cotter