Rowing: Mahe Drysdale wants Dick Tonks to stay

Olympic medalist Mahe Drysdale. Photo / Getty

Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale says Dick Tonks will remain his coach despite Tonks' split with Rowing New Zealand.

Drysdale says a compromise would enable Tonks to get the necessary credentials for the Rio Olympics next year.

He described Tonks as the architect of New Zealand's rowing success, and the man the other coaches still followed.

The single sculls legend, who also has five world championship victories and an Olympic bronze medal on his CV, hasn't officially been told that Tonks had "finished" with RNZ over a dispute involving his coaching of a Chinese crew.

Tonks described the athletes as 'provincial level' who were keen on contesting the China national games in 2017. However, the combination of Dong Tianfeng and Tin Bian were part of the Chinese lightweight men's quad that won a bronze medal in the non-Olympic discipline at the 2014 world championships.

The duo were third in the 'D' final (21st overall) in the men's lightweight double scull at this year's world championships in France. The top 11 nations qualified boats for the Rio Olympics. New Zealanders Peter Taylor and Hayden Cohen were 13th.

The 37-year-old Drysdale told Radio Sport: "I guess I hope my relationship with Dick hasn't ended whatever the case may be. That would be very sad. I guess I'll hopefully find out some more detail in next day or so

"I don't know what's between them - from my perspective my preference is that Dick takes me through to the Olympics. That's in my plan and exactly what I'm working on at this stage. Until that changes Dick will be my coach.

"There's a process going on. Hopefully for everyone it all works out...obviously me and the women's double (world champions Zoe Stevenson and Eve Macfarlane) are the most affected by this. Both of us certainly don't want to change anything eight months out from the Olympics."

On the Crowd Goes Wild, he told Andrew Mulligan and Simon Doull that it was commonplace for overseas crews to train at Karapiro and these new influences were even beneficial to the Kiwi rowers.

"I'm not privy to all the details. It's no secret there's been a bit of a strained relationship (between Tonks and RNZ).

"In this case, Rowing New Zealand didn't give permission...(but) it has blown up pretty quickly," he said.

Drysdale said that a coaching change may have been more acceptable further out from the Olympics, but with only eight months left it was an unnecessary risk for two of New Zealand's best gold medal prospects.

"And you are also talking about New Zealand's most successful Olympic coach ever," he said.

"Losing Dick is a massive thing and I will be fighting to make sure that doesn't happen. Change can be successful but it's a risk...if there was nothing to lose okay but I'm very much in a position to win (the gold medal).

"I'm sure (Olympic access) could be negotiated. That's what we've got to negotiate with rowing - can Dick Tonks still coach Mahe and the New Zealand double without being part of the RNZ coaching team."

Drysdale described Tonks is "not someone who would change his mind easily".

"But I still believe he wants to coach me and the women's double," said Drysdale, who has been coached by Tonks for nine of the past 11 years."He's certainly a unique character...he's not an easy person to get on with. He pushes you to your limits...I have absolutely 100 per cent trust in him.

"He's got five Olympic gold medals that he's coached. No matter how hard it is you do what he tells you to because it is your best shot at winning an Olympic gold medal.