Mahe Drysdale
Mahe Drysdale, of Cambridge, received the Insignia of a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit at an investiture ceremony on 2 April 2009 for services to rowing. Mr Drysdale, pictured after the ceremony with his grandmother Joy Owens, is a world champion rower and is considered the fastest single sculler in history. He was a member of the New Zealand coxless fours team that went to the World Cup in 2002 and the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where they competed in the final of their category. He won the men’s single sculls at the World Rowing Championships in 2005, 2006, and 2007 and won the category for a third time at the 2007 World Rowing Championships in Germany. He has also won numerous other rowing titles. including the Diamond Sculls at the Henley Royal Regatta. He recently competed at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing where he won the men’s single sculls bronze medal.