Olympics: Bond named NZ's 1000th Olympian

Rower Hamish Bond was unveiled last night as New Zealand's 1000th Olympian.

An exhaustive process by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) to number every athlete in 100 years of summer and winter Games competition thrust 22-year-old Bond under the historical spotlight at a team function before the closing ceremony.

The Cambridge-based Dunedin rower is stroke for the world champion men's coxless four and had a disappointing first Games, the crew pipped into fourth place in their semifinal before winning the B final.

He wins the honour courtesy of his surname.

Bond told NZPA it was a great honour as he had been absorbed with the Olympic Games since childhood.

"It's always been a big part of my life, it's been a goal of mine to be an Olympian for a long time," he said.

He had no idea he was in line for the honour, and was caught on the spot when his name was announced.

"It's a huge honour, it is an exclusive club, there's not as many of us as there are All Blacks."

It capped the Games for Bond, who had been downcast when his crew failed to make the finals.

"It wasn't what we wanted, but I've had a week to get over it. The Chinese put up a great show, it's been amazing how many events we were able to go to."

There had been 989 New Zealand Olympians before these Games and Bond was the 11th new name on the list alphabetically when the Beijing team of 182 athletes were finalised.

New Zealand Olympic secretary general Barry Maister said Bond had brought up a "special milestone".

"As an athlete Hamish was a strong member of both the New Zealand Olympic rowing team and the greater New Zealand team," Maister said.

"As the 1000th, Hamish represents all those Olympians who have gone before as well as his Beijing teammates."

The NZOC uses a different criteria to recognise an Olympian to the International Olympic Committee.

Once an athlete is accredited into the team they have made the NZOC grade while the IOC requires an athlete to take to the field of play.

It means athletes who were purely reserves or withdrew with injuries after arriving fitted the New Zealand Olympian profile.

Bronze medal-winning walker Harry Kerr is credited as being the first Olympian, one of three New Zealanders at the 1908 Games competing for a combined Australasian team.

Other notables include Jack Lovelock (No 33), first woman gold medallist Yvette Williams (76), Sir Murray Halberg (94), Peter Snell (151), John Walker (379), Mark Todd (513), Barbara Kendall (630), Sarah Ulmer (741), and Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell (896 and 897).

The New Zealand Olympians Club will hold a series of functions next year to formally award numbers to all athletes.

Bond's Olympic campaign struck rough waters last December when he was struck by a truck while cycling. His shoulder detached from his collarbone, forcing him to spend time out of the boat.

He was the Otago Boys' High School head boy in 2003 and was named Otago Sportsperson of the Year in 2007.

He and crewmates Carl Meyer, James Dallinger and Eric Murray were named 2007 team of the year at the Halberg Awards.