Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times / Sport

Mahe's honour stirs up feeling

Bay of Plenty Times
30 Dec, 2008 08:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.


Mahe Drysdale's New Year award was furthest from his mind today as the triple world champion and Beijing Olympics bronze medallist journeyed through Russia. Drysdale, 30, was today made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM).
Drysdale was sent a letter last month informing him he was among
seven Olympic athletes who won medals in August and New Zealand's three gold medallists at the Paralympics in September to get a New Year Honour.
"I'd semi-forgotten about it to be honest, although it was a surprise and I was a bit blown away when the letter first arrived," Drysdale said from London, before leaving to explore Russia.
"It'll be nice to have."
The Tauranga-raised athlete spent a few days with his family at Mount Maunganui over Christmas before leaving for the UK, and then to Russia.
Heading the sporting honours is Dave Currie, who led the New Zealand team in Beijing and has been in charge of the nation's Olympic and Commonwealth Games teams since 2000.
He is made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM).
Olympic gold medallists _ board sailor Tom Ashley and shot putter Valerie Vili _ are appointed Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM).
Drysdale is joined as a MNZM by bronze medal coxless pair of George Bridgewater and Nathan Twaddle and 1500m bronze medal athlete Nick Willis.
Also appointed as a MNZM is cyclist Hayden Roulston, swimmer Sophie Pascoe, who won three gold medals and one silver at the Paralympics, swimmer Cameron Leslie and cyclist Paula Tesoriero.
Indianapolis 500 champion Scott Dixon is made an MNZM.
Drysdale's gong continues a remarkable family legacy _ his grandmother, Tauranga's Joy Owens, was given a Queen's Service Order medal two years ago and his grandfather, the late Sir Bob Owens, a former Mayor of Tauranga and Mount Maunganui and one of New Zealand's leading businessmen, was knighted in 1997.
"I feel slightly bad because my grandfather had to work for 40 years to get his honour, and gran's also done a lot for the community, getting hers a couple of years ago.
"It's something they worked their whole lives for and I've been rowing for about five minutes in comparison. Hopefully the family won't take it the wrong way."
Drysdale flies back to New Zealand in mid-January via Sydney, where he is athlete support for New Zealand's 160-strong Youth Olympics team, before beginning his buildup to March's national rowing championships on Lake Ruataniwha.
Reflecting on the year, he said it was hard not to think about the Beijing Olympics where, as short-priced favourite for gold, he became violently ill, requiring an intravenous drip 48 hours before his brave row for bronze.
"Beijing's been a pretty dominant recollection in what I'd describe as an up-and-down year, although I guess it was a pleasing year overall.
"There's still lingering disappointment around Beijing, but coming back to New Zealand after the Olympics and the public support I've had, as well as things like this award, takes a bit of the pain away.
"It has also motivated me to do another four years in the single to get the medal I'm after."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Bay of Plenty Times

New home for Tauranga netball: $14m Baypark plan progresses

Bay of Plenty Times

Baywide rugby: Whaka look to break 19-year drought

Bay of Plenty Times

Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

New home for Tauranga netball: $14m Baypark plan progresses
Bay of Plenty Times

New home for Tauranga netball: $14m Baypark plan progresses

The new facility will include a new building plus 14 asphalt and nine cushioned courts.

14 Jul 07:00 PM
Baywide rugby: Whaka look to break 19-year drought
Bay of Plenty Times

Baywide rugby: Whaka look to break 19-year drought

14 Jul 05:17 AM
Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes
Bay of Plenty Times

Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes

14 Jul 04:28 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP