Hamish Bond and Eric Murray back on home turf after Rio Olympic win

New Zealand Olympic gold medalists Eric Murray, Hamish Bond at NZME Central to launch their book The Kiwi Pair. Photo / Dean Purcell

Olympic golden boys Hamish Bond and Eric Murray are back in the country after winning their second consecutive gold medal at the Rio Olympics.

Speaking to the NZME newsroom in Auckland this morning, the men's coxless pair talked about the ups and downs of their legendary sporting journey together.

They remain unbeaten in eight seasons, going 69 races at 24 international regattas without defeat in the class.

The pair won New Zealand's first medal of the Rio Olympics, kicking off a record 18-medal haul for the country.

Despite their overwhelming success on the water, the two men haven't always been quite so in sync with their friendship.

"We didn't really get on that well to start with. I didn't take to Eric's personality," Bond recalled in an interview with the Herald back in May.

Speaking today, Bond said Murray's natural optimism clashed with his own tendency to be slightly pessimistic.

"It's a yin and yang thing. I think it's about a balance of personalities.

"I think about all the things that could go wrong whereas Eric seems to think we can just turn up on they day and win."

Murray said the slightly competitive nature of their relationship was part of what helped give them the edge, because they weren't just competing against other teams, they were competing against each other.

"We've been this combo for eight years. Without one another we wouldn't have [these accomplishments]."

Like Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay, Murray and Bond were names that would now go together in sporting history - whether they liked it or not, Bond said.

"You can't have one without the other."

Looking ahead to Tokyo 2020, neither man was ready to commit to promising a shot at a third Olympic gold.

"You've got to weigh it up and say am I prepared for this," Bond said of training for yet another Olympics.

"My plan at the moment is just to take some down time and whether that's a year [or more], we'll see."

The Kiwi Pair, Hamish Bond and Eric Murray's autobiography, is published by Penguin NZ on Friday.