Mahe Drysdale contemplates rowing for Fiji

Mahe Drysdale after taking Olympic gold in 2012. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Mahe Drysdale is considering switching allegiance to Fiji in a bid to race at the Tokyo Olympics.

The two time Olympic rowing champion missed out on the New Zealand single scull berth for the upcoming international season when Robbie Manson was selected ahead of him after beating Drysdale in two races over the last month.

The results mean Manson will compete at the world champs in Austria. But Drysdale is determined to row for New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympics and wants to remain focused on the single sculls. If Rowing New Zealand don't allow him to compete at World Cup regattas, where countries can enter more than one boat in a category, he may row for another country.

"There's nothing stopping me going and joining a club in Fiji and getting the Fijian Rowing Federation to okay my entry for the world cups... that's just the way the world cups work," Drysdale told RadioNZ. "They are open to any athlete that's a member for a club in that country.

"It's certainly something that I don't want to do but is something that I'd have to look at if it all turns to custard."

Rowing New Zealand is yet to decide if they will support Drysdale in the single scull or move him to another boat - such as joining returing Olympic champion Hamish Bond in the eight.

Manson, who finished in a disappointing fifth the previous two times he held the seat at the world championships, said he has learnt a lot from the last couple of years and is excited to improve on those performances.

"I feel like I learnt a lot last year and the year before so every year is a new opportunity to learn. And yeah practice what I've learnt from the year before and put it into practice.

"I think it's just working with my coach Mike [Rodger] who I'm really excited to have and the physiologist. I really trust Mike's eye with the technique and really keeping them going right through.

"I think also staying in Europe the whole time this year will make a significant difference. And yeah it's great to be able to stay there for the whole three months and prepare properly for the world champs."

He's hopeful Rowing New Zealand will see things his way.

"I'm very hopeful that we can work together and it can be a 'win-win' for everyone but if I still have to do it the hard way which is outside the programme, then I am prepared to do that if that's what it takes to win a gold medal in Tokyo," Drysdale told Radio NZ.