The 31-year-old has revealed that he will be relocating back to his homeland in August from Singapore where he has been living with his family and working for financial services firm Morgan Stanley for the past number of years.

Bridgewater's last competitive international appearance was at Beijing 2008 where he secured a bronze medal in the pairs event with partner Nathan Tweddle to follow a World Championship gold in 2005 and silvers in 2006 and 2007.

In 2009 Bridgewater was part of the Oxford University crew that won the 155th University Boat Race on the River Thames in London.

Following his graduation he went to work for Morgan Stanley in Singapore but has decided to move back to Cambridge near Auckland, the base for Rowing New Zealand, to have another shot at winning an Olympic gold in 2016.

"I'm going to need all of the 809 days left until the Opening Ceremony," said Bridgewater, who is moving with his wife and two children and plans to start up a food business in Auckland.

"It is something I cannot achieve by training part time around a 12-hour work day.

"Unfortunately, there is no real competition in Singapore.

"Training with the NZ rowing squad is one of, if not, the best rowing training environments in the world and this intense daily competition provides the best possible path to reach Olympic medal standard."

New Zealand's George Bridgewater and partner Nathan Twaddle (back) powered their way to a bronze medal at Beijing 2008 ©AFP/Getty Images



The rower has targeted a return to the New Zealand national squad in October and hopes to earn selection to a crew in March next year.

Before that he plans to compete in a number of races over the coming weeks.

"I have put myself through a number of tests recently and after six months' part-time training, I am two to three per cent off my best 2000m time," he added.

"On the water, I'll face a stern test in just over a month's time.

"I will travel to Europe in June and race at the Holland Beker Regatta in Amsterdam, followed by Henley Royal Regatta in the UK in early July."

At London 2012, New Zealand finished second on the rowing medals table behind Great Britain, winning gold in the men's single sculls, men's pair and men's double sculls while securing bronze in the men's lightweight double sculls and the women's pair.

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