Rowing: World champion looking to London now

Men's double scull Joseph Sullivan (L) and Nathan Cohen. Photo / Christine Cornege

Years from now, when Joseph Sullivan reminisces about his rowing career, he may focus on the events of a mid-summer's day in Munich.

He and double's partner Nathan Cohen finished fifth in the semifinal of that World Cup regatta; missing the final and, worse, their world championship campaign looked kaput.

Desperate, they swapped boat positions for the next World Cup event three weeks later.

"We bombed badly," Sullivan says. "It was different before we went overseas; the selectors wanted Nathan as stroke but we eventually found I was better at holding the rhythm, making it easier for Nathan to read the race from the bow."

The duo finished third at Lucerne. Less than four months later, at the world championships on Lake Karapiro, they took gold - the first time New Zealand men had triumphed in that event.

It is something Rob Waddell could not do with Cohen at the Olympic Games (fourth) and veteran Matthew Trott failed in his two world championship attempts with Cohen in 2007 (sixth) and 2009 (fourth).

Sullivan's achievements are even more extraordinary, given he is less than 1.8m tall and weighs just 82kg.

Compare that to Waddell or Mahe Drysdale who are upwards of 1.97m and weigh just under 100kg in peak condition.

"I'm probably the smallest heavyweight rower out there," Sullivan says. "I quite often get mistaken for a lightweight [72.5kg or under] which sucks because I eat everything I can. I have smaller hands than normal, too."

The recently-retired Nathan Twaddle says regardless of size, the 23-year-old has earned enormous respect.

"He's a quiet over-achiever. Yes, he's relatively small and unconventional in the way he rows but you can't deny results."

Those have included three gold medals (two in the single and one in the double with Robbie Manson) at the under-23 world championships.

"Joe's beaten some big boys stepping into that elite double," Twaddle says. "Compared to other rowers, he uses a longer torso to generate more power than his legs. He and Cohen are smaller than average but that is no reason to discount them ... as many discovered at the world championships."

That included the favoured British and French crews who had produced stronger performances during the season.

"We were underdogs but knew we could give it a good push," Sullivan says.

Sullivan and Cohen are genuine Olympic medal contenders. That campaign starts on Tuesday with the national championships on Lake Ruataniwha, near Twizel.

If athletes impress the selectors, there are trials the next week. Do the same again and they are picked for the national European campaign where - barring injury - they attempt to qualify their respective boats for the Olympic Games at the world championships by finishing fifth or better in the B final. They then have to qualify as crew next year to get a crack at London.