WELLINGTON, Feb 27 - Massive public interest in the Olympic trials showdown between New Zealand rowers Mahe Drysdale and Rob Waddell has convinced officials to perform a U-turn and allow spectators and media to attend. Officials had wanted to conduct the trials in private to avoid any distractions but agreed to bend the rules because of the surge in public interest. The men's single sculls showdown has captured the imagination of the New Zealand public, with one local newspaper describing it as "the most riveting show in town." New Zealand rowing's communications manager Richard Gee said the main priority for officials was to protect the interests of the competitiors but the massive public interest had persuaded them to let the public attend. "We've very appreciative of all the interest but it's something we're conscious of managing for the benefit of the athletes," Gee told the New Zealand Press Association on Wednesday. "This is all about getting the fastest boats to Beijing and we don't want anything to distract the athletes from that." Drysdale has won the world title each of the past three years while Waddell has just come out of retirement after winning the gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Under the qualifying rules for Beijing, only one of them can compete in single sculls. The loser is still likely to make the team on one of the other crews. Drysdale, 29, was inspired to take up rowing seriously after watching Waddell win in Sydney but is struggling to beat his older rival. The pair have raced each other four times this season with the 33-year-old Waddell holding a 3-1 lead.
|