KEY POINTS:
The most talked about duel in New Zealand sport will take place behind closed doors.
The trial races between rowing kings Mahe Drysdale and Rob Waddell to determine who competes in the Olympic single sculls at Beijing will be shut off to the public and media.
Rowing New Zealand (RNZ) will not change its approach to the annual trials on Lake Karapiro, which are always run privately.
RNZ media and communications manager Richard Gee today said there were two reasons for making the trial regatta starting on February 29 an internal exercise.
One was to ensure no distractions for the rowers, while it was also hard to specify a timetable for races because the selectors wanted to see the trialists race in fair conditions.
"It's no change of policy, we've never encouraged the press or public to turn up for those trials, ever," Gee said.
"It's not just about Mahe and Rob, it's about all the athletes.
"They're going out to put themselves on the line and we don't want any distractions for them and that's fair from their point of view."
New Zealand qualified seven crews for the Beijing Games at the world championships in Munich last year.
The trials provide the stage for individual rowers to earn places in those boats.
The trials will finish on an unspecified date before March 7, when the Olympic rowing team will be announced.
Huge interest will surround the clash between three-time world champion Drysdale and 2000 Sydney Olympic champion Waddell, who returned to the sport late last year.
The pair have clashed three times in early-season regattas - with Waddell leading their personal battle 2-1.
They will square off again at this month's national championships, also at Lake Karapiro.
Gee acknowledged the unusually high public interest in the trials and said RNZ would provide its own photographic and television coverage of the event.
There would be control at the clubhouse throughout the week monitoring entry.
Gee said the event would not be a great spectacle, with long periods of inactivity possible as the selectors sought still weather.
"It makes it impossible to say what time a race might be because we want conditions fair for everyone," Gee said.
"We don't want spectators sitting around for what could be days on end waiting for a race."
All classes at senior, under-23 and junior levels will be trialled.
The selection of large boats will entail several races, with crews swapping athletes to compare performance. They will also undergo ergometer testing.
The selection stipulations surrounding Drysdale and Waddell remain unclear but Gee said the trials would entail "a minimum of two races" between the pair.
RNZ is likely to issue a clearer guideline to the selection process after the national championships finish on February 23.
- NZPA
