Mahé Drysdale

Mahé Drysdale

Personal information
Full name	Alexander Mahé Owens Drysdale
Born	(1978-11-19) 19 November 1978
Height	1.99 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight	100 kg (220 lb)
Medal record Men's Rowing Representing  New Zealand Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Single Sculls 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 Gold 2011 Bled Single Sculls Silver 2010 Karapiro Single Sculls
Updated on 24 August 2012.

Alexander Mahé Owens Drysdale, MNZM (born 19 November 1978 in Melbourne, Australia)^[1] is a New Zealand rower. Drysdale is the current Olympic champion and five-time World champion in the single sculls. The name Mahé comes 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 is a member of the West End Rowing Club in Avondale, Auckland, New Zealand and Tideway Scullers, London.

World Championships

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 beat his own World Record in the single and reduced it to 6:33.35.^[6]

Olympic Games

Drysdale was officially selected as New Zealand's Olympic heavyweight sculler for the Beijing Olympics on 7 March 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 win the bronze medal in the men's single scull. The gold and silver medals went to Olaf Tufte from Norway and Ondřej Synek from the Czech Republic, respectively. Clearly suffering from his illness, after his race Drysdale was carried by life raft and then moved to a waiting ambulance. He was also seen vomiting. He was, however, able to stand to be awarded his medal.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics Drysdale won the gold medal in the men's single sculls, despite throwing up the morning of race day due to nervousness.^[9] He has since said he may not compete at the next rowing world championships but will attempt to participate in the 2016 Summer Olympics, and in the meantime may take on new challenges such as ironman and New Zealand's annual Coast To Coast multisport event. ^[10]

New Zealand national championships

Drysdale won the gold medal six times in single sculls at the New Zealand National championships through 2010.^[11] In 2011, he won the silver medal in single sculls at the 2011 New Zealand National Rowing Championships at Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel, losing to Nathan Cohen by two lengths.^[11] He reclaimed the national title in 2012, as Cohen took second.^[12] He did not compete in 2013.^[13]

Awards

Drysdale won the 2006 supreme Halberg award,^[14] the University of Auckland Young Alumnus of the Year Award in 2007,^[15] and was awarded Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rowing in the New Years Honours 2009.^[16]

Drysdale won the Sportsground.co.nz Sportsman of the Year award in 2008.^[17]

Canoe Polo

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.

References

External links

• http://www.mahedrysdale.co.nz/