Champion rower Mahe Drysdale says receiving the New Zealand Olympic Committee's coveted Lonsdale Cup for the first time as an individual is the culmination of a fantastic year during which he was unbeaten, and a great way to start the new Olympic cycle.
Drysdale, last year's Olympic bronze medalist, is a four-times world champion, and he was named the international male oarsman of 2009.
He says Cup holders are a virtual Who's Who of New Zealand sport and it's an honour to be in the company of the likes of Olympic gold medallists Murray Halberg, Peter Snell, John Walker, Danyon Loader and Valerie Vili.
