Rowing: Bond versus Drysdale set to be highlight of regatta

Hamish Bond.
Hamish Bond.
North End rower Hamish Bond could pick up another scalp if he beats Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale at Lake Karapiro this week.

Bond (28) is challenging Drysdale in the men's premier single sculls, the blue riband event of the New Zealand championships starting today.

Bond has switched from the sweep oar event to the single sculls to challenge Drysdale (35) in his specialist event.

Drysdale won the gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012 and has won five world titles. But he is vulnerable on the domestic stage, as Southland's Nathan Cohen proved at Lake Ruataniwha in 2011 when he won the title and stopped Drysdale winning seven red coats in a row.

Bond has beaten Drysdale three times in the single sculls at regattas this season but it has not made him complacent.

''I'm not confident,'' Bond told the Otago Daily Times from Cambridge.

''Mahe's been getting closer each race. He has a lot of pedigree in the event but I will be giving it everything I've got.''

Bond wanted a new challenge in the New Zealand domestic season.

''It's been good for the sport and has given Mahe some hard racing.''

Bond does not have any intention of usurping Drysdale's spot on the international scene. He and Eric Murray in the pair have been unbeaten on the international scene since 2009 and he wants it to continue.

At Karapiro this week, Bond is also skipping the Southern RPC eight that includes his brother, Alistair, and competing in the pair with James Lassche.

Bond first won the pair in 2008 and will be going for his seventh successive red coat in the event this week. He has won 16 red coats and is capable of adding three more to his collection this week.

The other North End rower training with the New Zealand squad at Lake Karapiro is Lucy Strack (24), who won the lightweight premier singles and her first red coat in the Southern RPC eight last year.

She is defending her titles in the lightweight single sculls and the eight and will also contest the heavyweight single sculls.

Strack has her eye on the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 and is not leaving any stone unturned in her bid to achieve her goal.

''One change I've introduced this year is to have a nap in the afternoon,'' she said.

''The extra rest allows me to recover from the morning session and be at 100% for the afternoon session.''

Last year, at Lake Ruataniwha, Otago rowers won a record 19 medals - 10 gold, seven silver and two bronze - at a national championship regatta. It beat the record of 18 (seven gold, eight silver and three bronze) at the championships in 2011.

There are fewer club crews travelling from Otago to the championships this year.

The best medal chances will come from the Otago club combination of Jack O'Leary and Mark Alm, who will contest the senior single and double sculls.

O'Leary, a silver medallist in the quadruple sculls at the world junior championships last year, will also contest the under-20 single sculls.

Anna O'Leary and Emma Winders will contest the under-19 and club double sculls and the club single sculls.

Otago University club members Nicola Shanks, Anna Watson-Taylor and Caitlin Buist will also contest the sculling events.

Racing starts today and the finals begin on Thursday afternoon and conclude on Saturday.

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