18 Nov 2016

Mahe Drysdale and Hamish Bond to pair up for Tokyo?

3:45 pm on 18 November 2016

Rowing champions Mahe Drysdale and Hamish Bond could join forces for New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympics.

Drysdale, Bond and Eric Murray are all taking a year off from competition next year, in the wake of their Rio success.

Bond and Murray have been together since 2009 and are unbeaten in the pair having won Olympic titles in London and Rio but whether they'll be together for an attempted hattrick in Tokyo is yet to be decided.

Eric Murray, Hamish Bond and Mahe Drysdale won't be part of the New Zealand's international rowing programme in 2017.

Eric Murray, Hamish Bond and Mahe Drysdale won't be part of the New Zealand's international rowing programme in 2017. Photo: Photosport

Murray has expressed an interest in competing in the men's eight and Drysdale, a two time Olympics single sculls champion, says while he's determined to compete in Tokyo it may not be in the single scull.

He's already raised the idea with Bond about competing together.

"I'm open to anything. We've had a couple of discussions when we see each other around and spoken about 'ideas'.

'There's plenty of options there and one it will depend on who's around and what the options are when we all come back together towards the end of next year . We're all in the same position and we'll look and see what the options are what really grabs our fancy.

"Even Eric saying he might want to do the eight, well, you've got to actually go and earn your seat. Whatever you want to do, it's not a given that you are going to be allowed to do it."

Whatever the outcome Drysdale accepts his long time partnership with controversial coach Dick Tonks appears to be over.

Tonks and Rowing New Zealand fell out over coaching arrangements in December last year with Tonks resigning his role as Drysdale's coach.

Things were resolved so Tonks could continue coaching Drysdale through to Rio but Drysdale says their future together is "very much up in the air."

"The decision I have made is that 'yes' I want to continue but I haven't decided what boat or anything like that....once those decisions are made we can then look at coaching.

"If I was in the single then my number one choice would be to stay with Dick, it's been a very successful partnership, but I haven't discussed that with Rowing New Zealand and I don't know whether that's even a possibility.

"At this stage I would say that it was unlikely, but it's certainly a conversation (with RNZ) that I would need to have," said Drysdale.