Mahe Drysdale: Two-time Olympic rowing Gold Medallist ahead of the women's single sculls final

Two-time Olympic rowing gold medallist Mahe Drysdale believes Emma Twigg has struck fear into her rivals ahead of tonight's women's single sculls final in France. 

Twigg recorded the fastest time across the semi-finals, but will go head-to-head with Dutchwomen Karolien Florijn, who is on a two-year unbeaten run. 

Mahe Drysdale joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the rowing finals.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldegrave from News Talks B.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's very good morning to a man who's well known
to all of us, not only in the political spectrum
of rowing as well. Mahe Drysdale joins is May welcome
to the program. Thanks for taking some time out to
talk to us. It's been incredible for rowing so far
at the Olympics. I mean Thursday night. Who would have
thought that a gold, a silver and a bronze. You

(00:33):
must be proud as punch.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
Oh, absolutely, no, it's amazing, you know to see the team,
you know, and some of those some of those crews
weren't heavily favored, so you know, for them to come
and win some medals, that's hugely encouraging for all the
people that are still to go because you know, you
just kind of the team. The team just lifts each

(00:54):
other and you get a lot of confidence from seeing
your peers do well because you know you've done similar,
similar work to them.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
What happens at Kuda Pedro. What is with throwing in
this country? They're constantly throwing medals and records and world
championships at it. It doesn't stop, what's going on up there?

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, you know this is this is just a system
that's been developed, and you know, it's kind of success
breed success. So I guess at the very low level,
it's it's competitive and you're comparing to the people that
are the best in the world.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
And you know, so you've always got a benchmark of
you know, that crew that is the gold medalist and
you know exactly where you stand on a day to
day basis, and you strive, you know, to be that.
And you know that goes back right back to Rob
Widell who brought on the twins, who brought on me.
You know, the men's pair, the woman's pair. You know,
just so just kind of belt and now we've got

(01:48):
numerous crews that are winning medals. So you've always got
this competition and everyone's just pushing each other higher and higher.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Your area of expertise, Tom Macintosh, Emmett Twig, tell us
about them. Twig obviously defending a title that will be
huge to her and fo a call. When she picked
it up a few years ago in Tokyo, there was
a lot of talk, run, I don't think this is
the roller to do this. She's there but really and wow,
she blew everybody out of the water.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah, I'm incredibly proud of of Twiggy. You know, she
she has has you know, had had some issues with
injury and things like that, and she's come up against
an incredibly strong athlete and Carolyn Fulorine who's won everything
since since Tokyo. And you know, the race we saw

(02:39):
her race on Thursday. If I was Caroline, I'd be
I'd be absolutely packing myself. You know, Emma was was
as good as I've seen her since Tokyo. And you
know she was she was significantly faster. You know, you've
you've got to be careful with times in these prelim races.
But you know, certainly Carolyn is not going to have

(03:04):
too many good sleeps building up to that, because you know,
when you've won everything, you've only got downside. Emma, I think,
is just doing it. You know, she's she's here, she's done,
she's done the business. She's she's an Olympic champion. She
doesn't need this, and so she's just out there to
have fun and uh, you know, give it her best.
And I think that's pretty dangerous position, you know, to

(03:27):
be in for for the other ones for.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
The untrained die Mah drives. We wouldn't have a clue.
Whe you see someone rolling, we don't know what they're
up to. What do you see though, that suggests to
you besides the time itself, that she is absolutely on
form and she's at the top of her game. Is
any any clues there?

Speaker 1 (03:44):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (03:44):
Absolutely, Like it was just the intent, you know, and
and you know that was something that that Emma hasn't
shown in in the last couple of years. Is that
just like I'm I'm I'm here to win and I'm
not I'm not you know, allowing you and you just
saw that, you know, within five hundred meters even compared

(04:06):
to her quarterfinal. You know, in the quarterfinal, she you
know kind of you know, she she's stuck around with
the field in that seemi. She just she just went out,
you know, I'm going to win this and and no one's,
no one's got a chance. And that's you know, that's
what we saw from her in Tokyo. And you know,
I was, yeah, pretty pretty emotional just seeing that, I guess,

(04:28):
just you know, knowing knowing what she's been through and
just seeing that, you know, what happens when you really
just put your your mind to it and you know
that to me is all she did was just a
mental shift to say, yeah, I'm here to win and
you know, get out of my way.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
It's one things up. May he. It sounds like a
lot of action going on in the background. But Tom
Mac Andtosh impressive in the semifinals. How how do you
rate that guy coming into finals time?

Speaker 3 (04:55):
Oh, you know, he's an up and coming athlete, Like,
don't don't expect too much from him. He's very new.
But if he can sneak a metal that would be
an awesome result. You for two years and so so. Yeah, again,
pretty excited about watching that and seeing him, seeing him perform.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
I love this background. This is fantastic, he may thanks
very much for joining us. You go off and be
dad and we'll talk again soon. Enjoy the rest of
the Olympic Games.

Speaker 3 (05:22):
Thank you all right, Thanks Darcy, looking forward to watching
the rest of the games.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
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