Mahe Drysdale wins NZ Olympics' Lonsdale Cup

The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) has awarded four-time world rowing champion Mahe Drysdale the Lonsdale Cup for 2009.

The Lonsdale Cup is the NZOC's most prestigious award and goes to the athlete who has made the most outstanding contribution to an Olympic or Commonwealth sport each year.

This year, single sculler Drysdale won two World Cup titles in Munich and Lucerne, the Diamond Sculls at the Henley Royal Regatta, the Holland Beker trophy and his latest world title in Poznan, Poland.

New Zealand Olympic Committee secretary Barry Maister said Drysdale deserved the award.

"Mahe has had an outstanding year. He came through undefeated, secured his fourth world title and effectively broke a single sculls world record. He's an athlete at the top of his game."

Drysdale, who was recently named world male rower of the year for 2009, said it was an honour to be awarded the Cup.

"It is a very prestigious award and this is the first time I've won it - I'm honoured. It is the culmination of a fantastic year and is also a great way to start the new Olympic cycle," he said.

Maister said the performance of New Zealand athletes in 2009 was high and there were a number of very strong contenders for the Lonsdale Cup.

"We're delighted to have named Mahe as the recipient for 2009 and while the decision was tough, it was the number of world titles he held and the fact he recorded the world's fastest single sculls race time in 2009 that set him above the other top ranking athletes. "

Rowing has a strong history of Lonsdale Cup winners with Rob Waddell winning the cup in 1998 and 2000, the full rowing squad in 2005 and Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell in 2008.

Murray Halberg was the first recipient of the Lonsdale Cup in 1961 and it has been awarded annually since. Recipients include Peter Snell (1962, 1964), John Walker (1975), Danyon Loader (1992, 1996) and Valerie Vili (2006, 2007).

- NZPA