5th Time Winner Old Boy Hamish Bond

By ODT | Posted: Wednesday May 24, 2017

New Zealand rowing great Hamish Bond might have collected his last Olympic gold medal on the water but he raked in another supreme award at the Otago Sports Awards.

Bond joined cyclist Greg Henderson who is also an Old Boy as the only person to win the supreme award five times.

He headed off some strong competition from the other category winners. But his gold medal effort at the Rio Olympics last year always made him a clear favourite.

Bond, who also won the sportsman of the year award, is one half of arguably the greatest rowing combination in history. He teamed with Eric Murray in 2009 and men’s coxless pair put together a remarkable winning streak. They were unbeaten in 69 consecutive races and won two Olympic golds and eight world championships, six of them in their favourite event.But following their commanding performance at Rio, the pair took a break.

Murray has since retired, while Bond is making a bold bid to return to the Olympics, on a bike.

While he has not officially retired from rowing, Bond is stringing together some promising performances on two wheels. The 31-year-old will head to London next month, to help further his ambition to become a world-class time trialist.

Hamish then went on to claim his second award in as many days.

The double Olympic gold medallist won the rower of the year award at the Otago rowing awards.   Bond, who rowed at the Rio Games in the men's pair with Eric Murray, beat youngsters Bradley Leydon, Mark Taylor and brother Alistair for the honour.