The oarsome Hamish Bond

‘‘He’s definitely the best rower we’ve ever produced.

‘‘He’s definitely right up there with the best Olympians New Zealand’s ever produced.’’

That’s how the retiring Hamish Bond stacks up in the eyes of longtime former crew-mate Eric Murray, who to this day is still blown away by just what he saw his fiercely competitive friend achieved on the water.

Bond, 35, yesterday drew the curtain on his rowing career, highlighted by eight world championship titles and three successive Olympic gold medals, along with a stunning 69-race unbeaten streak in the men’s pair.

The man he teamed so sublimely with – never losing a race together and posting world best times in both the pair and coxed pair that still stand today – felt fortunate to be on board for the ride.

‘‘For him to to do what he did, for such a long period of time, it is something that is really hard to get your head around how good the guy actually was,’’ Murray told Stuff, amazed ‘‘just to see what a human could actually produce’’.

‘‘The thing with Hamish was, he wasn’t an overbearing figure. When you looked at him on the podium against all the other rowers, he’s six inches shorter, he’s about 10 kilograms or more lighter, and you were like, ‘Wow, OK’.

‘‘But he just had this phenomenal capacity in his endurance and his physiology, it just set him apart from so many other people. And he just managed to be able to find his niche of where he was able to physically push himself in a sport, and he found that with rowing.’’

Coupled with the physical ability, though, came a drive and determination that made Bond a real world-beater. And Murray got a first-hand view.

‘‘Hamish was very much the pessimist in the partnership. He was always like, ‘We’ve got to get it right, something could go wrong’. Just always trying to find that perfection and work towards it.’’

Bond, who Murray felt could have carved out a superb career in the single scull had he wanted to, was by no means some superman spared of pre-race jitters.

‘‘You see Hamish and he’s quite a confident, open person, but sitting in the changing sheds or wherever we’re warming up an hour before, he’s as nervous as any other person out there – the worry and anxiety and that trepidation, the whole works,’’ he said.

‘‘But it was just a matter of turning the switch on at the right time for race time, and then

Hamish Bond the rower came out, and, he was, literally, unbeatable.’’

Bond ends his career behind only Dame Lisa Carrington (five) and Ian Ferguson (four) in terms of Olympic gold medals for New Zealand,

equal with Paul Macdonald and Sir Peter Snell, while only seven rowers in history (men or women) have stood on top of the Olympic podium more times.

‘‘Obviously you’ve got Sir Steve

Redgrave who did five Olympic gold medals, so he’ll never be touched,’’ Murray said. ‘‘But Hamish is right up there, in the top five, at least, rowers in the world.’’

Murray felt Bond could have added to his collection had he carried on to Paris in 2024, but, with him having three kids under four, knew this shaped as the perfect time for him to hang up the oars.