New Zealand produced its fair share of world champions this year. Over the next few days we will highlight our world-beaters.
New Zealand produced its fair share of world champions this year. Here are a few of our sporting heroes who are simply the best
Bond and Murray have become rowing's version of "the casino".
Regardless of the five crews who gamble against them in any race, the house of the "Kiwi pair" wins.
The odds, through dominance at 19 consecutive Fisa international regatta victories in the men's pair, have favoured Bond and Murray for six unbeaten seasons. Their fifth coxless pair world championship was soldered to their London Olympic title, victory in the non-Olympic coxed pair and their 2007 coxless four triumph.
In many eyes, including those of British great Sir Matthew Pinsent last year, Bond and Murray are the greatest coxless pair ever.
The only remaining contenders could be Sir Steven Redgrave and Pinsent, who won consecutive Olympic golds in the class at Barcelona and Atlanta, or East German twins Joerg and Bernd Landvoigt who achieved the feat at the Montreal and Moscow Games.
The only choppy water the pair faced related to the advertising-sacrosanct election day when their @kiwipair Twitter handle tweeted: "Get out & vote NZ! Plenty of time left #decision14 Don't worry @johnkeypm you got my vote! #sportfunding". Bond later blamed Murray for the gaffe, telling nzherald.co.nz: "He's a moron." The handle now reads KIWIPAIR-EricMurray.
Now, back to their strengths. In the world championship final the British crew of James Foad and Matt Langridge pushed in the first 500m in a bid to unsettle. It left Bond and Murray last, 1.21s off the lead.
Never fear, the natural order of physiology took hold. The Kiwis pulled through and away from the field, creating the illusion other crews were mere buoys such was the traction of their stroke. Their lead grew to 0.675s at the 1000m, to 2.78s at 1500m and 4.41s at the finish. The biggest fear came when German oars crossed into their lane early on. Their time of 6m 09.34s was 0.84s outside the world best effort they set at the London Olympics.
To reinforce their achievement, the pair were joined by coxswain Caleb Shepherd when fast water propelled the trio to a world's-best time of 6m 33.26s in the non-Olympic class. They eclipsed the 20-year-old mark by 9s.
NZH lb