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Three-time world champion Mahe Drysdale has reacted cautiously to Rob Waddell's return to competitive rowing, suggesting his one-time inspiration will prove added motivation as he eyes Olympic gold in Beijing.
Waddell, who had been diverted by Team New Zealand's failed bids to regain yachting's America's Cup since crushing
his single sculls rivals in Sydney seven years ago, is back in training on Lake Karapiro.
Waddell's return could give Rowing New Zealand (RNZ) a selection headache before they announce their Olympic line-up in March.
His successor Drysdale, who defended his world sculling title in Munich three months ago, now faces the prospect of a dogfight with Waddell over who starts in China next August.
Before Waddell resurfaced 20kg trimmer, Drysdale would have been a certainty to represent New Zealand in one of rowing's blue riband events, though the Aucklander now admitted the waters had been muddied.
"Being the world champion does help but it's no guarantee I'll be the one competing in Beijing," Drysdale told Newstalk ZB.
"Between now and then they'll be a bit of sounding out (with Rowing NZ). He seems to be going well in the single and double (sculls).
"He is an Olympic champion and he probably has the potential to beat me.
"I've obviously got to be wary of that and make sure my progress continues as well as I want it to."
The pair could go head to head for the first time at the K1 regatta on Lake Karapiro in mid-December, though Drysdale has already drawn a bead on the progress of Waddell's comeback.
Waddell, himself a two-time world champion, has been training for a couple of months and has already proven his superiority over the next generation of New Zealand's single scullers by beating Nathan Cohen and under-23 world champion Joseph Sullivan.
Waddell would not be drawn on where his competitive preference lay, or whether he would automatically persevere with his comeback.
He has said rowing would be a "short-term commitment, first through to trials, and then perhaps to the Olympics".
He said his level of fitness, whether he could reach the required standard quickly enough and the logistics of combining the two sports - he is still a member of Team NZ - meant he was unable to say he was definitely committed to trial for a national boat.
RNZ high performance manager Andrew Matheson said it was up to Waddell to prove himself before the national championships in February and said it was "premature" to discuss which crew might accommodate him at Beijing..
- NZPA