He made the stand, standing
BEIXIAOYING TOWN, China - New Zealand's Mahe Drysdale just wasn't going to miss the medal ceremony after winning the Olympic bronze in the men's single sculls final yesterday - even if he couldn't stand when he finished the race.
Left fatigued after battling a stomach bug most of the week, Drysdale had to be carried back to the dock on a medical boat, then hauled away on a stretcher for an examination.
A few minutes later, Drysdale started heading toward the medal stand with the assistance of two people.
"I wanted to be there," he said, finally standing strong after getting a chance to replenish his fluids about 30 minutes later.
"Maybe five minutes before, I tried to stand up and fell over again. Yeah, I wanted to be part of that experience.
"The other guys raced fantastically today and I don't think it's fair on them not to be there."
Team leader Andrew Matheson said Drysdale "rode himself to a standstill."
"Obviously, because of his illness he's had this week, he probably had less reserves in his tank than he would normally," Matheson said. "He obviously raced with what he had, which was a gutsy effort." (AP) 