Bond and Eric Murray have won the world title in the men's pair for the last three years at the world rowing championships and have been unbeaten in World Cup events.
They have continued this dominance at the Olympic Games on the Eton College course with powerful displays to win their heat and semifinal. This included a world best time for the 2000m course of 6min 8.5sec in the heat.
Bond is likely to become the first Otago sportsman to win an Olympic Games gold medal since Danyon Loader won double gold medals in swimming at Atlanta in 1996.
He would be the first Otago rower to win an Olympic title since Gary Robertson in the eight at Munich in 1972.
Bond follows in the footsteps of Lex Clark and Ray Skinner who competed in the men's eight at the Tokyo in 1964 and is the third member of Dunedin's North End Rowing Club to compete at the Olympics.
If Bond and Murray confirm their favouritism by crossing the line first tonight, Bond will become the first North End rower to win an Olympic Games gold medal.
Bond and Murray kept their feet on the ground after winning their third world pairs title at Bled last year.
Bond got rid of any complacency when he stated at that time that " I expect the other crews to catch up. We will have to find something extra to stay in front."
The powerful displays of precision rowing at London has extended the gap and left the other crews struggling to keep up.
Bond (26) was given three months leave of absence from his job as head boy at Otago Boys' High School when he first represented New Zealand at the junior world championships in 2003.
He was coached by Fred Strachan at that time and the New Zealand rowing guru will be at the side of the rowing course at Eton to watch Bond win the gold medal tonight.
His parents, Graeme and Shirley, will be watching the race on television from their home at Twizel with a few friends.
Graeme was the first member of the family to row when he was in the sea cadets.
Younger brother Alistair (22) will be glued to the television set at Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where he is training for the world championships.
Older brother Callum (28), who led the way when he rowed for a couple of years at Otago Boys' High School, will be watching the race with members of the North End Rowing Club at the Terrace Bar in the Octagon.
"Winning the gold medal is all that matters," Callum said. "It will make us all very proud of Hamish." His sons Mason (1), Harry (3) and Lucas (7) will be watching their uncle from their home at Green Island.
North End Club president and Rowing New Zealand life member Neil Burrow remembers Bond's first appearance at the club.
"He was tall but a skinny wee bloke when he first came down to the club," Burrow said.
"Our guru Fred Strachan could see potential in him. The prospects were there right from the start."
