Mahe Drysdale open to teaming up with Hamish Bond ahead of Tokyo Olympics

  • 07/05/2017
Hamish Bond and Mahe Drysdale (Getty Images)
Hamish Bond and Mahe Drysdale (Getty Images)

Two-time Olympic rowing gold medallist Mahe Drysdale has committed himself to the next Olympics in 2020, but he is still unsure what boat he'll be in Tokyo. 

Drysdale has been competing in the single sculls since 2005, but the 38-year-old told Andrew Gourdie and Jim Kayes on RadioLIVE's Sunday Sport he is not ruling out the idea of teaming up with Hamish Bond.

"I love rowing and I want to row in Tokyo," says Drysdale.

"I always have the single to go back to, but certainly looking at a crew boat if the option is there.

"We have to work out what Bondy [Bond] is doing. He is cycling at the moment and it is going well for him.

"If that was something we thought would work and be successful we would look at it.

"Nobody has made commitments yet and when it comes to the time to commit we will see what our options are."

Bond's former teammate, Eric Murray, announced his retirement last week to spend more time with his family. With Murray gone, the question is being asked if Bond will decide to retire and focus on cycling.

Mahe Drysdale open to teaming up with Hamish Bond ahead of Tokyo Olympics

The pair went unbeaten in 69 races together to go down as one of the most dominant tandems in sporting history - something Drysdale used as motivation when he was competing.

"I used to train with them every day and both reinvented what we all saw as possible and that are sensational.

"That all culminated in the gold medal race when they got the world's best time in London.

They pushed me along knowing I had to match the numbers they were doing, and in London they raced 40 minutes before me; it was a massive confidence boost.

"It would have been amazing to see if they had that rival to see what heights they could have got to."

Drysdale is currently taking the year off after winning his second gold medal at last years' Rio Olympics and he will return to the water in October.

Newshub.