Mahe Drysdale

Alexander Mahe Owens Drysdale (born 19 November 1978) is a New Zealand rower and three-time World Champion single sculler.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, [ [http://www.zeus-sport.com/NZOC/Athletes/AthleteProfile.aspx?print=&id=0&mode=bio&ContactID=25475 New Zealand Olympic Committee profile] ] Drysdale 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. [ [http://www.powerupdates.com/clients/halberg/DocumentLibrary/Drysdale.pdf Halber sports awards biography pdf] ]

Drysdale began competing at the World Cup level in 2002, rowing 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. [ [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10344229 Rowing: From numb to sensation] , NZ Herald. September 06, 2005.]

He successfully defended his title in 2006 at Dorney Lake, Eton, England and again in 2007 at Munich, Germany.

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. [cite news | author = AP, Newstalk ZB, "NZ Herald" staff | title = Drysdale, Beijing ready for big night out | publisher = "The New Zealand Herald" | url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10526000 | date = 2008-08-08 | accessdate = 2008-08-09] Unfortunately for Drysdale, a severe gastrointestinal infection in the week before his final saw him off form [cite news | author = "The New Zealand Herald" staff | title = Back from the brink and bound for glory | publisher = "The New Zealand Herald" | url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10527331 | date = 2008-08-16 | accessdate = 2008-08-16] 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 Ondrej 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 medalion.