Mahe Drysdale is able to raise a grin about it now.
Less than 24 hours after his Olympic ambition collapsed as his exhausted body gave up its uneven fight against a debilitating bug, Drysdale reflected on winning a bronze medal in the single scull final with a performanceloaded with guts.
He led at the 1500m mark before the frame which had shrunk below 100kg for the first time in years due to the bug, wilted. Over the last 500m he was reeled in by defending champion Olaf Tufte of Norway and Czech Republic sculler Ondrej Synek.
"It it had been over 1900m I probably would have won it," he quipped.
Quite possibly, too. In which case it would have been marked down as one of the great New Zealand Olympic golds.
Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates, who appreciated the drama unfolding, was on his feet in the stand as Drysdale passed the 1500m. "This is extraordinary! Come on, Mahe!" he yelled.
But once over the line, Drysdale had to be hauled out of his boat, slumped across one of the pilot craft, put on oxygen support and eased back to a point where he could walk unaided.
"It's a relief it's all over," the New Zealand team flagbearer said yesterday.
"It's been really hard for me this week. It's had its ups and down, but I certainly have no regrets. I put everything out there and it wasn't good enough."
He'd received a note before the final from New Zealand rowing legend Don Rowlands which read: "The will is bigger than the skill". Drysdale had the will, and the skill, but the vomiting and diarrhoea had done too much damage.
Two New Zealand crews missed medals - the coxless pair of Juliette Haigh and Nicky Coles and, surprisingly, Rob Waddell and Nathan Cohen in the double scull.
