The hard work has begun for Mahe Drysdale as he sets his sights on Rio.
After a difficult year where he failed to make the world championship semi-finals, Drysdale is back training. He's determined to prove he can get back to his Olympic gold-winning best.
It's the difficult mornings on Lake Karapiro that remind New Zealand's rowers how hard their work can be.
But Drysdale is a battler and harsh conditions are no deterrent to the man already focussed on defending his Olympic title in 2016.
"It's one of those things," he says. "It makes it a bit more exciting. We're dependent on the weather and you have some challenging days, but other good days. You just find ways around it and try to stay inside on days like this."
It's been a rough ride for Drysdale this year. After a 10-month sabbatical his decision to return for the World Champs in Korea didn't go according to plan.
Not only was he underprepared, but he had to deal with having the wrong boat sent over, breaking a rib after being knocked off his bike then failing to make the semi-finals. After winning five world titles, it was a difficult scenario for Drysdale to deal with.
"I guess I've got to prove to people that I can get back to that, a final, and be competitive because I think that's the one thing this year. People were starting to doubt me a wee bit, as to whether I'm capable of doing that. But I know in myself that I think I am. And that's the only reason that I've continued on."
The 34-year-old says the campaign to repeat his Olympic success begins now.
"I always targeted next year as being an important year for worlds. Everything that happened this year was to prepare me for next year and that target of Rio in three years."
Over the next couple of weeks, Drysdale will race in regattas in the United States and Europe. It is all part of his plan to become a double Olympic champion.
3 News
source: newshub archive
