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Drysdale won a bronze at Beijing in single
sculls before claiming back-to-back golds at London and Rio de
Janeiro and is a five-times world champion in the event.
He had been bidding to compete at a fifth Games but lost out in
the single sculls to Jordan Parry and withdrew from the elite
eight squad.
"The fairy tale of finishing my career with a fourth medal at my
fifth Olympics is not meant to be!" Drysdale said in a statement
http://www.mahe.kiwi/newsarticle/104457?newsfeedId=649361.
"I didn't make it to Tokyo, where I planned to finish, but I did
make it a lot further than I thought I might at times over the
past 10 months.
"There is certainly disappointment not to get to Tokyo but in
sport there are no guarantees and there are no handouts -- you
have to earn everything you achieve."
Drysdale and Simon Dickie, who died in 2017, are the only New
Zealand rowers to win three Olympic medals.
New Zealand Olympic Committee Chief Executive Kereyn Smith said
Drysdale, who was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of
Merit in 2009, was a "leader" in rowing.
"Mahe has created New Zealand history and inspired a generation
with his standout Olympic performances," Smith added. "He will
be missed and we thank him for his amazing legacy."
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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