London Olympics 2012:Mahe Drysdale wins olympic gold

Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand, who has been crossing rowing finish lines first for almost a decade, finally did so at the Olympics Friday.

Drysdale is a five-time world champion in the single sculls and has been a dominant force in the sport, but he finished fourth at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and was third in Beijing four years ago.

Four of the top five competitors from the 2008 Olympics were back to challenge for the gold medal this time and Drysdale made sure he would not be denied this time. He got an early lead and powered his way along the 2,000-meter course in the time of 6:57.82.Drysdale went into the Beijing Games in 2008 as a huge favorite but fell ill days before the final and struggled to a bronze. He had to be helped onto the podium that day after vomiting behind the scenes.With the men's pair of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray also winning their final on Friday, New Zealand tops the rowing medals table with three golds with four final races left. Joseph Sullivan and Nathan Cohen won the men's double sculls Thursday.

Drysdale appeared in danger of missing the London Games when he crashed his bike into a car before a World Cup regatta in Munich in June. He sustained minor joint injuries, grazes and bruises.

It was Synek's second straight Olympic silver. The gold medalist from Beijing, Olaf Tufte of Norway, failed to reach the final.

Lassi Karonen of Sweden was overtaken in the final 150 meters by Campbell, whose bronze added to the two thirds he has won at the last two world championships.