After being overlooked for the New Zealand single sculls seat, two-time Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale is weighing up the possibility of representing another country this year.
Robbie Manson was named in the elite team after beating Drysdale in the national trial on Lake Karapiro on Tuesday and the national championships last month.
Despite the setback, Drysdale told 1 NEWS he wants to stay in the single for the short-term.
As reported by 1 NEWS last night, Drysdale is hoping Rowing New Zealand will allow him to compete for NZ at the upcoming world cups but there's also the option of a different nation thanks to the World Rowing rules around eligibility.
Under Regulation 3 – Eligibility (Rule 19), "to represent a National Federation in a World Rowing Cup regatta, a competitor must be a citizen of that country or a bona fide member of the rowing club for which he competes in that country. In World Rowing Cup events at World Rowing Cup regattas, rowers shall compete under the name of their National Federation that shall alone be entitled to enter them."
Under that rule, Drysdale says there is the choice of joining an international club and rowing for another nation at the world cups.
Drysdale added the ideal scenario would be representing New Zealand at world cups and he’s working with Rowing New Zealand to do that but "nothing is off the table".
"I could go and represent Fiji," he told 1 NEWS.
Rowing NZ is expected to decide whether they’ll support Drysdale’s pursuit in the world cup single sculls events within the next two months.
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