2. About
Alexander Mahé Owen Drysdale was born on
the 19th of November 1978 in Melbourne,
Australia. Later, he moved to New Zealand and
has lived here ever since. Mahé Drysdale has
represented New Zealand in the single sculls
rowing and has won many rowing events in New
Zealand and around the globe. Mahé is the
current Olympic champion and five-time world
champion in the single sculls rowing.
3. Education
Mahé Drysdale attended Tauranga Boys'
College in Tauranga, New Zealand. After
graduating from college, Mahé attended the
University of Auckland. He began rowing at
the university at the age of 18 and had given
up on rowing to concentrate on his studies.
A while later, he started to row again after
watching the famous NZ rower Rob Waddell
win gold at the 2005 Olympics.
4. World Championships
Mahé began competing at World Cup level in 2002, in the
New Zealand coxless four. After the 2004 Olympic Games,
his crew finished in fifth position. Later, Mahé changed to
the single scull and won the 2005 World Championships in
Gifu, Japan.
After that, he had successfully defended his title in 2006 in
Eton, England, in 2007 at Munich, Germany, and again in
2009 in Poznan, Poland, holding off Alan Campbell and
Ondřej Synek. At the 2010 World Championships Mahé
came second winning silver.
5. Olympic Games
On the 7th March 2008 Mahé Drysdale was officially
selected to play in his very first Olympics as New
Zealands heavyweight sculler. As well as that, he was
chosen to carry the flag for New Zealand in the opening
ceremony. Unfortunately due to his severe
gastrointestinal infection, he was only able to win
bronze in the men's single scull.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Mahé won his very first
Olympic old medal in the men's single scull. Despite
throwing up on the day of the race due to nervousness.
6. Accomplishments
These are Mahé's Accomplishments
World Championships
Gold 2005 World Championships at Gifu
Gold 2006 World Championships at Eton
Gold 2007 World Championships at Munich
Gold 2009 World Championships at Poznan
Silver 2010 World Championships at Karapiro
Gold 2011 World Championships at Bled
Olympic Games
Bronze 2008 Beijing Olympics
Gold 2012 London Olympics
7. Awards
2006 supreme Halberg award
2007 University of Auckland Young Alumnus of
the Year Award
2008 Sportsground.co.nz Sportsman of the
Year award
2009 Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit
for services to rowing in the New Years Honours
8. Canoe Polo
Mahé has also represented New Zealand in
Canoe Polo as a Junior. He represented New
Zealand in an under 18 team that toured to
Fiji. Later he was a NZ Under 21
representative that toured to Tonga.
In 1999 – 2000 he was Executive of NZ
Canoe Polo.
