Rowing: Drysdale looking strong after injury setback

Mahe Drysdale is back on the water after an enforced two-month break with a back injury. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

Four-time world rowing champion Mahe Drysdale is back on the water and looking stronger with every outing ahead of this weekend's World Cup regatta in Munich, Germany.

Drysdale suffered a small tear in a lower spinal disc at the national rowing trials in early March, and was hit with an enforced two-month break from rowing while he recovered.

He missed the first regatta of the World Cup series in Bled, Slovenia, late last month, but New Zealand team manager Jan Taylor said today that Drysdale was looking good ahead of the Munich regatta which begins on Friday.

"Mahe's out training, although we're still unsure whether he's racing this weekend or not. But the back's improving every day, which is great," Taylor told NZPA from Munich.

Drysdale has isolated this year's world championships on Lake Karapiro in November as his priority for the year, with the 2012 London Olympics another goal.

He said earlier the eight weeks off the water since March were "a blessing in disguise", allowing him and coach Dick Tonks sharpen their focus.

Twelve crews are competing this weekend, and Taylor said the regatta would provide a good indication of where New Zealand stood five months out from the world championships.

"We'll get a good handle on where we're at with the rest of the world this weekend - it's the first big hit-out for most of them, so we're looking forward to it."

Only three New Zealand crews contested the first regatta, but results were impressive nonetheless.

World champion pair Hamish Bond and Eric Murray were too strong for the British crew of Andrew Triggs Hodge and Peter Reed, while single sculler Emma Twigg led for most of her final before being outgunned right at the end by Belarussian Ekaterina Karsten.

If Drysdale competes this weekend, it will mean all four of New Zealand's gold medal-winning crews from last year's world rowing championships in Poznan, Poland, will be on the water.

As well as Bond and Murray in the men's pair, and lightweight single sculler Duncan Grant, the lightweight double pairing Storm Uru and Peter Taylor will be doing battle with Beijing Olympic gold medallists Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase (Britain),

A new double sculls pairing in Nathan Cohen and promising young rower Joseph Sullivan will also test themselves in Munich, while two fours crews will take to the water as eight oarsmen vie for a spot in the fours at the Karapiro world championships.

The New Zealanders will also contest the World Cup regatta in Lucerne on July 9-11.

New Zealand crews

Men
Single sculls: Mahe Drysdale (to be confirmed)
Pair: Eric Murray and Hamish Bond
Double sculls: Joseph Sullivan and Nathan Cohen
Four: Jade Uru, Sean O'Neill, Hamish Burson and David Eade; Chris Harris, Tyson Williams, Ian Seymour and Ben Hammond.
Quadruple sculls: Matthew Trott, Nathan Twaddle, Paul Gerritsen and John Storey
Lightweight single sculls: Duncan Grant
Lightweight double sculls: Storm Uru and Peter Taylor

Women
Single sculls: Emma Twigg, Fiona Paterson
Pair: Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown
Quadruple sculls: Harriet Austin, Paula Twining, Emma-Jane Feathery and Louise Trappitt

- NZPA