KEY POINTS:
Disgruntled triple world champion Mahe Drysdale could consider switching allegiance to Australia for the Beijing Olympics - and Rowing Australia have said they are interested.
Drysdale is in a head-to-head battle with 2000 Olympic gold medallist Rob Waddell for the sole single sculls berth and is fearful of losing his place to the popular champion.
This week, he has railed against what he perceives as the injustices of the selection criteria and the Herald on Sunday has learnt that overtures have been made to Rowing Australia. Drysdale was born in Melbourne, has dual nationality and carries an Australian passport.
When questioned directly on this, Drysdale said: "I have not given it any thought."
However, Noel Donaldson, Rowing Australia's high performance director, admitted the Drysdale situation had been discharged "internally" in a meeting on Friday.
Asked whether there had been an approach made, Donaldson replied "Not formally. We have heard the rumours and do know of the situation."
Donaldson said it was Rowing Australia's policy not to headhunt and they would would wait for Drysdale or representatives of Drysdale to take the matter further, although their initial feeling was that Drysdale might not be eligible.
However, the Olympic eligibility clause is relatively loose. Paragraph 1 of the bylaw to Rule 42 states: "A competitor who is a national of two or more countries at the same time may represent either one of them, as he may elect. However, after having represented one country in the Olympic Games [as Drysdale did for New Zealand at Athens]... he may not represent another country unless he meets the conditions set out in paragraph 2."
Paragraph 2 states: "A competitor who has represented one country in the Olympic Games... who has changed nationality or acquired a new nationality, may participate in the Olympic Games to represent his new country provided at least three years have passed since the competitor last represented his former country."
That would appear to rule out a switch but the clause then takes a vague turn by stating: "This period may be reduced or even cancelled, with the agreements of the NOCs [the New Zealand Olympic Committee and Australian Olympic Committee] and IF [FISA] concerned, by the IOC Executive Board, which takes into account the circumstances of each case."
In other words, each application will be looked into on a case-by-case basis, if the NOCs agree.
Donaldson said if Drysdale started to race in Australia, he would be by some margin the quickest single sculler. At the world championships last year, Australia had US and UK citizens rowing for them, "so we don't have too many problems with the concept," Donaldson said. "But world championship rules are different to the Olympic Games rules."
Donaldson said that as current rules stood, Drysdale wouldn't be permitted a switch under Australian Olympic eligibility criteria "but that doesn't mean we won't look at his case to see if it's possible".
Drysdale, who meets Waddell for the second time today at the Cambridge Town Cup regatta at Karapiro, had made clear last week his displeasure at the lack of clarity he has received around Olympic selection, claiming Rowing New Zealand had dragged their feet.
He outlined his frustrations in a radio interview and said he was not interested in a multi-crew boat.
The Herald on Sunday can also reveal that Drysdale's outspoken approach has caused division in the normally watertight world of New Zealand rowing.
One current member of the national team, whom we agreed not to name, emailed to say that Drysdale's whingeing was a bad look and asked why he should be treated differently to any other crew seeking selection for Beijing.
The email said: "If there is somebody else better than him out there, they should go into the crew. That's the case for any other crew in New Zealand. It's happened for every boat that's ever been away for New Zealand in previous years.
"He is already counting himself down that Rob is going to beat him. He needs to get on the water and beat the guy - if he can't, then there's someone better out there and that's a pretty simple fact of life and rowing.
"He is coming across in a very wrong way. He should just suck up the courage and get out there and race, otherwise take it on the chin and move aside."
There are numerous examples of athletes who thought they were bound for the Olympics - most recently Rob Hellstrom and Ian Smallman who helped qualify boats for Athens - only to be left out after the trials, as Rowing New Zealand adopted a hard-nosed approach.
It is worth noting, though, that as talented as that duo may be, neither was a three-time world champion.
Drysdale is desperate to add to that tally with Olympic gold - and might do just about anything to achieve it.
- Andrew Alderson
