Rowers prepare for sporting contrasts

Contrasting weeks lie ahead for double Olympic rowing gold medallists Eric Murray and Hamish Bond as they wind down from their men’s pair triumph at the Rio Games.

Murray heads to Tahiti with his family to compete in the Hawaiki Nui Va’a, a famous French Polynesian endurance boat race. He will also promote rowing on the island’s lagoons.

Bond begins cycling's Tour of Southland this afternoon, when Invercargill’s Queens Park hosts the 4.2km prologue. The race finishes 851.2km later next Saturday.

Murray joins French lightweight double sculls gold medallist Jeremie Azou on his assignment which intends to foster “the Olympic spirit” and push for French Polynesia to have an independent presence at future Games.

“Because French Polynesia is ruled by France, they have to be under a French flag,” Murray said. “They want to be able to compete separately, which would open the way for their athletes to be part of Asia-Pacific and Oceania qualifying events. That would make it easier for them to get a bigger team to the Olympics.”

The comparable situation is the Cooks Islands, who, while New Zealand guide their foreign affairs and defence policies, get separate sove- reignty at the Games. “Jeremie and I are going rowing with the locals for a few days off the coast of Pape’ete, then we’re doing a 24km section of the race through the lagoons,” Murray said of an event which has been held since 1992 and sees boats paddle 126km between the islands of Huahine, Ra’aitea, Taha’a and Bora Bora.

Last year, more than 80 boats competed. Murray and Azou will be part of a six-person crew, composed of reserves from other teams.

While Murray will compete in balmy South Pacific weather with temperatures in the mid-20s, Bond faces spring rain in Southland with the mercury hovering in the midteens.

He has cobbled together the Vantage Windows and Doors team in his downtime, after first competing as part of the victorious Zookeepers Cycle Surgery team in 2009.

“We’re aiming to mix it up and be noticed, rather than hanging on and taking part,” Bond said. “We have no preconceived ideas of what should or shouldn’t be. Time will tell when you’re faced with the difficulties of a peloton and the sun, wind, rain and cold.

“This is about proving something to myself. I feel as though I’m one of the best rowers, but doing things like this tests whether you’re one of the best athletes.”