| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Mahé Drysdale |
||
| Men's Rowing | ||
| Competitor for New Zealand
[[:Template:Height: 6'6]] |
||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Bronze | 2008 Beijing | Single Sculls |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2005 Gifu | Single Sculls |
| Gold | 2006 Eton | Single Sculls |
| Gold | 2007 Munich | Single Sculls |
| Gold | 2009 Poznan | Single Sculls |
| Silver | 2010 Karapiro | Single Sculls |
| Gold | 2011 Bled | Single Sculls |
Alexander Mahé Owens Drysdale, MNZM (born 19 November 1978 in Melbourne, Australia)[1]) is a New Zealand rower and five-time World Champion single sculler. The name Mahé came from the largest island in the Seychelles.[2]
Drysdale attended Tauranga Boys' College in Tauranga, New Zealand, then the University of Auckland.[3] He began rowing at university at the age of 18. He gave up rowing to concentrate on his studies, but began rowing again after watching fellow New Zealander Rob Waddell win gold at the 2000 Olympic Games.[4]
Drysdale began competing at World Cup level in 2002, in the New Zealand coxless four. After the 2004 Olympic Games, in which his New Zealand crew finished fifth in the final, Drysdale switched to the single scull, winning the 2005 World Championships at Gifu, Japan, despite having broken two vertebrae in a crash with a water skier earlier in the year.[5]
He successfully defended his title in 2006 at Dorney Lake, Eton, England, in 2007 at Munich, Germany, and again in 2009 in Poznan, Poland, holding off Britain's Alan Campbell and Czech Republic's Ondřej Synek. At the 2009 World Rowing Championships he also defeated his own World Record in the single and pushed it to 6:33.35.[6]
Drysdale is a member of the West End Rowing Club in Avondale, Auckland, New Zealand and Tideway Scullers, London.
Drysdale was officially selected as New Zealand's Olympic heavyweight sculler on March 7, 2008. He was also chosen to carry the flag for New Zealand during the parade of nations in the opening ceremony.[7] Unfortunately for Drysdale, a severe gastrointestinal infection in the week before his final saw him off form[8] and he was only able to carry the bronze medal for the men's single scull. The gold and silver medals went to Olaf Tufte from Norway and Ondřej Synek from the Czech Republic, respectively. After his race Drysdale was carried into a waiting ambulance, after being carried by life raft after his race, clearly suffering from his illness. He was also seen vomiting. He was, however, able to stand to be awarded his medallion.
Drysdale won the 2006 supreme Halberg award,[9] the University of Auckland Young Alumnus of the Year Award in 2007,[10] and was awarded Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rowing in the New Years Honours 2009.[11]
Drysdale won the Sportsground.co.nz Sportsman of the Year award in 2008.[12]
Drysdale has also represented New Zealand in Canoe Polo as a Junior.[2] He represented NZ in an Under 18 team that toured to Fiji. Later he was a NZ Under 21 representative that toured to Tonga. In 1999 – 2000 he was Executive of NZ Canoe Polo.