Two into one

It's  the matchup nobody wants to talk about.

Reigning world single sculls champion Mahe Drysdale has found himself with a possible late challenge for the Olympics berth in Beijing next year in the form of former gold medallist Rob Waddell.

They are expected to meet this weekend at the KRI regatta at Karapiro, south of Hamilton, an exciting prospect for sports fans ahead of the Olympic trials in March, but one that Rowing New Zealand is keen to downplay.

RNZ executive chairman Bill Falconer was apprehensive, to say the least, about talking about the pair.

"It is very early in the piece and too soon to be drawing any conclusions," he said.

But he went as far as to say that having Waddell back in the mix was a positive for the sport.

"I know you would like me to comment on that but I don't want to be drawn into it.

"It's very good for the sport to have a couple of athletes who are a former Olympic champion and a three-times world champion.

"Just how that works out in terms of competition at the Olympics - what you know is that you want to make best use of both of them, along with the other very good rowers we've got. Just what that will be, it's just too soon to say.

"I don't believe we're looking at a row-off now, where there's going to be a winner and a loser, but I think there will be a process over the next couple of months where we will work out what's the best thing for them and the best thing for rowing going forward," he said yesterday.

Of the rowers in question, only Drysdale was happy to talk this week, though any mention of his rival was off limits.

But have no doubt, he is determined to add an Olympic gold medal in Beijing next August to his collection of world titles.

When asked what was more important, his world titles or the title up for grabs next year, Drysdale had no hesitation.

"The Olympics is the big goal. I think you would find for most rowers it's the holy grail of rowing. While it's no different to a world champs as such, I think the Olympics is something everyone knows about and that's where you really make a name for yourself.

"I suppose it's always hard when you have a four-year goal and you need to perform on that one day in four years - that's why the Olympics is so revered."

The New Zealand contingent from the world rowing championships were given a month off after the Munich event, and since then Drysdale has spent six weeks overseas competing in long distance events before returning to New Zealand to continue his buildup.

On the water training every day, the key event of the season will be the national championships in February and the national trials shortly afterwards.

While Waddell's name is not uttered during our conversation, Drysdale made it clear his preparations are unlikely to change, despite the emergence of a possible challenger.

"Obviously the trials is where we get selected to go to Beijing, but at the back of the mind we are focusing on Beijing already.

"The trials are not really a time where you want to be peaking or anything, you do as little as possible to come up to the required standard knowing that the big goal is Beijing," he said.

Trying to find the balance between doing enough to qualify and keeping on track to peak in August is the challenge, and Drysdale is uncertain how it will pan out.

"That's really a wait and see. Obviously I have no idea at this stage what's going to happen. Ideally I won't be doing anything special to come up for it and yeah, just be focusing on Beijing.

"That's the ideal, and really there's so many things that can happen between now and then. I've had absolutely no direction from Rowing New Zealand as to what they are looking at.

"I'm assuming that I'm going to stay in the singles."

- © Fairfax NZ News