Olympic champion reverts to rowing

In a major shock, Hamish Bond is leaving his promising cycling career to have another tilt at Olympic rowing glory.

Bond wants to be part of the men’s rowing eight team for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, he told

1News.

Bond, who formed one of New Zealand’s great sporting partnerships with Eric Murray in rowing’s men’s pair, recently missed out on making the New Zealand team for the world track cycling championships.

After his retirement from rowing following he and Murray winning their second Olympic gold medal in Rio in 2016, Bond turned his attention to road cycling before switching to the track last year.

He won the gold medal in

4000m individual pursuit at the national champs in Cambridge last month, but still missed out selection for the worlds.

He said of his surprise move that he had always viewed the men’s eight as the pinnacle event in rowing,

‘‘It is all about the eight for me, it’s the blue riband event in rowing and it’s something that Eric and I often spoke about

Hamish Bond doing,’’ Bond told night.

‘‘And because we had our own personal conquest to get through individually, there was never an opportunity there to make it happen.’’

Bond says he feels he would

1News

last be able to make the most impact in the eight.

‘‘I see it as an opportunity that Tokyo Olympics could be my last chance to compete on that stage and the eight is where I feel as though I can have the most effect,’’ Bond said.

‘‘It is the biggest challenge and I am here to see if I can help make it successful.’’

While Bond said last month he was irked by his omission from the track cycling team, he told 1News it wasn’t the catalyst for his decision to return to rowing but it was a reason for him to take stock of his priorities.

‘‘Certainly walking away from a job that’s half done was the hardest part about it,’’ he said.

‘‘Cycling New Zealand have been really supportive and really good. The coaches, the athletes couldn’t be any more opening and encouraging in my transition and I really appreciate that.’’

‘‘It is all about the eight for me, it’s the blue riband event.’’

STUFF/AP Hamish Bond has ditched his cycling career, left, in favour of a return to rowing where he and Eric Murray formed a formidable and hugely successful partnership.