The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) has awarded four-time world champion and Beijing medallist Mahe Drysdale the Lonsdale Cup for 2009.

The Lonsdale Cup is the NZOC's most prestigious award and goes to the athlete who has made the most outstanding contribution to an Olympic or Commonwealth Sport each year.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee selected Drysdale after year that included two rowing World Cup titles in Munich and Lucerne, the Diamond Sculls at the Henley Royal Regatta, the Holland Beker and the World Championships in Poznan, Poland.

New Zealand Olympic Committee secretary Barry Maister said Drysdale's award was extremely well deserved. "Mahe has had an outstanding year. He came through undefeated, secured his fourth world title and effectively broke a single sculls world record. He's an athlete at the top of his game."

Drysdale was also named world male rower of the year for 2009 and said being awarded the Lonsdale Cup was an honour. "It is a very prestigious award and this is the first time I've won it - I'm honoured. It is the culmination of a fantastic year and is also a great way to start the new Olympic cycle," he said.

Barry Maister said the performance of New Zealand athletes in 2009 was high and there were a number of very strong contenders for the Lonsdale Cup. "We're delighted to have named Mahe as the recipient for 2009 and while the decision was tough, it was the number of world titles he held and the fact he recorded the world's fastest single sculls race time in 2009 that set him above the other top ranking athletes. We thank Mahe for his ongoing contribution to New Zealand sport and the role he plays in inspiring young New Zealanders to excel."

Rowing has a strong history of Lonsdale Cup winners with Rob Waddell winning the cup in both 1998 and 2000, the full rowing squad taking the Cup in 2005 and the Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell taking the cup in 2008.

Murray Halberg was the first recipient of the Lonsdale Cup in 1961 and it has been awarded annually since. Recipients also include Peter Snell (1962, 1964), John Walker (1975), Danyon Loader (1992, 1996), Valerie Vili (2006, 2007).