Mahé Drysdale facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mahé Drysdale MNZM
Mayor of Tauranga
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 August 2024
Deputy	Jen Scoular
Preceded by	Vacant
Personal details
Born	(1978-11-19) 19 November 1978 (age 46) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Spouse	Juliette Haigh ​ (m. 2013)​
Relatives	Peter Drysdale (brother) Rose Keddell (cousin) Bob Owens (grandfather)
Mahé Drysdale Personal information Height 2.00 m (6 ft 6+1⁄2 in) Weight 99 kg (218 lb; 15.6 st) Medal record Men's rowing Representing  New Zealand Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Single sculls Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Single sculls Bronze 2008 Beijing Single sculls World Championships Gold 2005 Kaizu Single sculls Gold 2006 Dorney Single sculls Gold 2007 Oberschleißheim Single sculls Gold 2009 Poznań Single sculls Gold 2011 Bled Single sculls Silver 2010 Cambridge Single sculls Silver 2014 Amsterdam Single sculls Silver 2015 Aiguebelette-le-Lac Single sculls

Alexander Mahé Owens Drysdale is a famous New Zealander. He was born on 19 November 1978. He is a politician and used to be a professional rower.

Mahé Drysdale is a two-time Olympic champion. He also won five world championships in the single sculls. He has won the New Zealand national championship seven times. He was named New Zealand Sportsman of the Year five times. Today, he is the mayor of Tauranga, a city in New Zealand.

Early Life and Rowing Start

Mahé Drysdale was born in Australia. His parents were from New Zealand. He was named after Mahé, the largest island in the Seychelles. He grew up in Tauranga, New Zealand. He went to Tauranga Boys' College.

He started rowing when he was 18. This was while he was studying at the University of Auckland. He stopped rowing for a while to focus on his studies. But he started again after watching another New Zealander, Rob Waddell, win a gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games. Drysdale trained at the West End Rowing Club in Auckland. He was also a member of the Tideway Scullers School in London.

Rowing Achievements

World Championships

Mahé Drysdale first raced for New Zealand in 2002. He was part of the New Zealand coxless four team. After the 2004 Olympic Games, he switched to racing in a single scull. This is a boat for one rower.

He won his first World Championship in 2005 in Japan. He did this even though he had broken two bones in his back earlier that year. He won again in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2011. In 2009, he set a new world best time for the single scull. This record was later broken by another New Zealander, Robbie Manson.

Olympic Games

Drysdale competed in his first Olympic Games in 2004. His team finished fifth in the coxless four race.

He was chosen to represent New Zealand at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He was also given the honour of carrying the New Zealand flag at the opening ceremony. Before his final race, he became very sick. He still competed but only won a bronze medal. He was so unwell that he had to be helped off the water.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Drysdale won the gold medal in the men's single sculls. He was very nervous that morning, but he still won. In the years leading up to the 2016 Olympics, he often came second to Ondřej Synek from the Czech Republic at the World Championships.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Drysdale won his second gold medal. He successfully defended his title in a very close race. He beat Damir Martin from Croatia by a tiny margin. After these Olympics, he took a break from rowing. He returned in 2017, hoping to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

However, he was not chosen for the single scull team for the Tokyo Olympics. In June 2021, Drysdale announced he was retiring from international rowing.

New Zealand National Championships

Drysdale won the gold medal in single sculls at the New Zealand national championships six times by 2010. In 2011, he won a silver medal. He won the national title again in 2012.

Other Rowing Success

In 2018, he won the Diamond Challenge Sculls for the sixth time. This is a very important single sculls event at the Henley Royal Regatta.

Canoe Polo

Before he became a rowing star, Mahé Drysdale also played canoe polo. He represented New Zealand in junior teams. He played for the under-18 team that visited Fiji. Later, he was part of the under-21 team that went to Tonga.

Awards and Recognition

Mahé Drysdale has won the Sportsman of the Year award at the Halberg Awards five times. This is a special award for New Zealand athletes. He won in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2016. He is the only New Zealander to win this award more than three times. In 2006, he also won the Halberg Supreme Prize, which is the top award.

In 2007, he received the Young Alumnus of the Year Award from the University of Auckland. In 2009, he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This was for his great contributions to rowing.

Political Career

On 19 May 2024, Mahé Drysdale announced he wanted to become the mayor of Tauranga. On 20 July 2024, he was elected as mayor. He officially started his role on 2 August. Jen Scoular became the deputy mayor.

On 14 October 2024, Drysdale and most of the Tauranga City Council voted to add fluoride to the city's water supply. This decision was made because the Director-General of Health asked them to. Drysdale himself voted against it. He said he had concerns about fluoride's effects on health. He wanted more proof that it was safe. However, the Council had to follow the directive to avoid breaking the law.

Personal Life

Mahé Drysdale is married to Juliette Haigh. She is also a rower and an Olympic bronze medallist. They got married in September 2013. They have one daughter, who was born in October 2014.

Mahé Drysdale has some famous relatives. His cousin, Rose Keddell, plays for the New Zealand women's national field hockey team. His younger brother, Peter, is a cricketer. His grandfather, Bob Owens, was also the mayor of Tauranga from 1968 to 1977.

Images for kids

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  Mahé Drysdale in 2010.