Not many Olympic champions can be labelled an apprentice in their sport, but for Kiwi rower Tom Mackintosh, there's some truth to it.
Mackintosh heads to the Paris Olympics as a reigning gold medallist on the water, although in the men's eight — not in the single scull class that he'll be competing in this year.
The 27-year-old told 1News the new discipline has taken some getting used to.
"Going into the single scull, you are a bit alone in that sense and it is a relatively new event for me."
Mackintosh took single sculling seriously only after that historic Tokyo triumph but was quick to make his mark, claiming bronze at last year's world championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
"If we were chatting this time last year, I hadn't been in a boat for five months or so. That's a good measure to go off," Mackintosh said.
"So in that sense, I've had about six months more training this time than last year. I definitely feel like I'm in a better position."
He also has the best crop of single scullers to lean on whenever he wants.
Sydney gold medallist Rob Waddell keeps in touch and two-time Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale is effectively on speed dial.
"Mahe's been very hands on and giving me tips, sending me messages or deconstructing my race plan and giving me tips as to where I need to be a bit more aggressive in the race plan," he explained.
"Or how I can change technically."
But he doesn't even need to look that far.
Just across from him in the gym or sharing Lake Karapiro is Emma Twigg, Tokyo gold medallist and this year going to her fifth Olympics.
"I've loved the time that we've spent together and we went and did some racing in America together," Twigg said of Mackintosh.
"I actually get a hell of a lot from him. He's a guy who's so confident in what he does, he's foot loose and fancy free so I rate that about him.
"I definitely think he's got the goods and every year you spend in the single scull, you make such big improvements. He's had one year and he's a bronze medallist, it's kind of mind-blowing.
"I'm excited to see what he does in Paris."
Paris is now less than four months away, but before that the New Zealand squad heads to a World Cup regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, next month.
The perfect place for Mackintosh to find out where he really stands.
SHARE ME