Hamish Bond

Hamish Byron Bond MNZM (born on 13 February 1986) is a New Zealand rower and Olympic gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympic Games. He has won five consecutive World Rowing Championships gold medals and has set two world best times.

Bond was a member of the gold medal-winning coxless fours at the 2007 World Rowing Championships. He was a member of the Men's coxless four which won the B final at Beijing.

The following year, he and Eric Murray won the coxless pairs at the 2009 World Rowing Championships. Bond and Murray together won the team of the year award at the 2009 New Zealand Halberg sports awards.

Bond and Murray continued to row together in the coxless pairs and competed at the World Cup Series and at the 2010 World Rowing Championships on Lake Karapiro, New Zealand 2010. They won all 4 of these international races. They won their 2nd world title together in front of a passionate home crowd. Bond describes racing in front of a home crowd as a "once in a lifetime experience". Bond and Murray continued their undefeated streak, winning gold at the 2011 World Rowing Championships. Bond and Murray have a long running rivalry with the British pair of Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs-Hodge. The British pair have won silver in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

They have also won the Silver Goblets at the Henley Royal Regatta for the past 2 consecutive years for the Men's Senior Pairs.

In 2010 Bond and Murray were nominated for team of the year at the Halberg Awards which was won by the All Whites.

At the 2012 London Olympic Games Bond and Murray took six seconds off the world record of 6:08.5 in their heat for the men's coxless pair. In the Olympic final they surged into the lead after the 500 meter mark to win the gold medal in 6:16.65 by open water. France edged Great Britain for the silver in 6:21.11 v. Great Britain's time of 6:21.77. The victory capped an undefeated streak that began when Murray and Bond began racing the pair internationally in 2009.

Also in 2012, Bond graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor in Business Studies degree (major in finance) and a Graduate Diploma in financial planning.

Bond is also a fan of cycling; in 2009, he raced at elite level in New Zealand alongside fellow Olympian Sam Bewley, competing in the six-day Tour of Southland for the Zookeepers-Cycle Surgery team.

Bond was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2013 New Year's Honours, for his services to rowing.

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