Seamless dominance defines the Kiwi pair - the men's pair

It came as no surprise that Bond and Murray of New Zealand completed another undefeated season in 2015. The pair have claimed gold in every major event they have raced starting in 2009 when they captured their first World Championship title in the pair.

Bond and Murray have held the world’s attention since.

The duo went on to smash the World Best Time at the London 2012 Olympic Games and have proved themselves on home waters in the single scull and on the indoor rowing machine.

The only chink in the armour of the kiwi pair seems to be their first 500m of the race. But even this has not hurt their results as their ability to judge the opposition and find their way to the front of the group by skill, confidence and pure power. They are then able to move away from the field to finish, often with hefty margins. 

At last season’s World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, SUI, Murray and Bond were actually in fifth place at the first 500m mark. They had the lead by the half way point. They then went on to the World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette (FRA) and again took the lead at the half way point. Then, true to form, they finished an incredible 6 seconds ahead of second place Great Britain.

The British pair of James Foad  and Matt Langridge are no slouches and if any crew from the 2015 season came close to the Kiwi’s it was these two, finishing second to Murray and Bond at both World Cup II and the World Rowing Championships. Since then, however, Foad all but hung up his 2016 chances following back surgery.

Foad and Langridge also took gold at the 2015 European Rowing Championships in Poznan (POL) ahead of France’s Germain Chardin and Dorian Mortelette who took European silver. The French, who medalled at the London Olympics, began the year with a strong showing at World Rowing Cup I in Bled (SLO). But they were well off the podium pace by the World Rowing Championships where they finished eighth overall.

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Serbia’s Bedik Nenad and Milos Vasic, on the other hand, gained strength through the season. They finished with a bronze behind Chardin and Mortelette at the European Rowing Championships. then held that position in their next to appearances at the Lucerne World Rowing Cup and again at the World Rowing Championships.

The Dutch crew of Roel Brass and Mitchel Steenman finished 2015 in fourth at the World Rowing Championships. Braas made the successful transition from being his country’s top single sculler to replace Steenman’s partner Rogier Blink who was out due to a back injury. Earlier the season they took gold at World Rowing Cup I and recorded fourth at World Rowing Cup III. Blink is now back training with the Dutch national team.

Rounding out the A-final at the World Championships was Italy’s Niccolo Mornati and Vincenzo Capelli followed by the Australian crew of Jack Hargreaves and Nicholas Weatley.

With 2015 concluded and another perfect season for the Kiwi’s in the record books. For 2016 it will be a matter of a crew doing something very special to beat Murray and Bond.  And won’t that be a race to remember!

Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualifiers:

1, NZL
2. GBR
3. SRB
4. NED
5. ITA
6. AUS
7. RSA
8. FRA
9. USA
10. ESP
11, ROU