As a five-time world champion, Mahe Drysdale isn't used to losing and today he regained his national single sculls title at the New Zealand rowing championships at Lake Karapiro.
Drysdale was beaten by Nathan Cohen last year but showed his strength in beating off a high-quality field today to prove he's in good early-season form ahead of the London Olympics.
Cohen made him work for it, at one stage sprinting at 45 strokes a minute, and he also endured attacks from 2009 world lightweight doubles sculls champion and three-time world pairs champion Eric Murray but Drysdale maintained control throughout and finished in a classy time of 6 minutes 46 seconds.
Cohen finished less than a boat length behind in second and Murray, who beat Drysdale at the North Island championships, was third. Less than nine seconds separated all six rowers in the final.
Emma Twigg dominated the field in the women's single sculls to claim her fourth consecutive title.
