The Tokyo Olympic Games will take place in May, June or July next year.
For anyone who has followed Hamish Bond's remarkable career, it will come as no surprise that his two-car garage now only has space for one vehicle during the current lock down period.
Or that the remaining car is under some pressure for its spot.
Bond, who is one of aselect group of New Zealand athletes with back-to-back Olympic triumphs, after gold medals alongside Eric Murray in 2012 and 2016, is known for his unforgiving work ethic and relentless training approach.
That will ease off a little during the current isolation period, but not too much, even though the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed for the best part of a year.
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"I'll try to keep the training up," Bond told the Herald. "I'll do something most days, maybe some days I'll do two sessions.
"For me it's not just about the long-term picture, but for my own sanity. It wouldn't be advisable to go from 13 or 14 sessions a week to nought. I don't think that would be healthy.
"And it's good to keep active, people need to be mindful of not just sitting around, or stewing about the current situation."
Double Olympic gold medallist Hamish Bond training on Lake Karapiro, Cambridge. Photo / Photosport
The Rowing New Zealand base at Lake Karapiro closed its doors last Tuesday, ahead of the government's level four lockdown.
"A lot of the stuff at the high performance centre was divvied up between athletes," said Bond. "I took some, though I already had a fair amount of equipment that I have accumulated over the years."
Bond has a rowing machine, a ski erg, an 'assault' bike and various weightlifting equipment, including a squat rack, as well as couple of road bikes.
"My two-car garage is definitely a one-car garage, and it's sort of dwindling," laughed Bond. "There are no excuses not to be fit and/or strong over the next few weeks, that's for sure. I've got multiple cardio options, and plenty of capacity to lift some weights as well."
Hamish Bond will be doing plenty of indoor training in the near future. Photo / Photosport
Bond was not surprised by Tuesday's confirmation of the Olympics postponement, saying that the writing was on the wall.
"Perhaps the IOC had their head stuck in the sand for a little while there, but it was a good move when a number of countries signalled they would boycott and there was a bit of push from athletes too, with an understanding that the situation was bigger than sport," said Bond. "And athletes were looking for some clarity, to help them focus on the situation (coronavirus) at hand.
"I haven't come across any report or athlete with a negative attitude to the announcement. We certainly need to do our bit and ultimately we are just playing a game. We can get quite caught up in the outcome, the chasing of that glory but it pales in comparison to what the world is facing presently."
The revised five-year Olympic cycle will be unique, and mean a re-set of priorities, but could be beneficial for the New Zealand men's eight, a relatively new crew.
"I guess for athletes like myself another year may not be overly helpful, another year longer in the tooth," joked the 34-year-old. "But I think I can still be at my best over another 12-month period.
"[And] there's no reason why we shouldn't be fitter, faster and stronger next year. Time wasn't on our side given the short time we had together as a crew and the number of young guys on the team."
Hamish Bond. Photo / Getty
However, for the next few weeks sporting pursuits will be firmly on the back burner.
Bond will be focused on looking after his two children (Imogen, 2 years and Phoebe, eight months), while his wife Lizzie continues her vital work as a doctor at Tauranga hospital.
"She's in Orthopaedics, so not in the immediate area of what Covid requires, but when things escalate, they call in everyone, and anyone with any medical experience," explained Bond.
"They are prepping for that situation and tending to any broken bones etc in the meantime. There's a degree of continuing as normal, but prepping for any escalation."
Bond admits they are both worried about her possible exposure to the virus, but realise it's part of the job.
"She's concerned, certainly," said Bond. "Just being in contact with people, whether they be known patients or people in general who may be asymptomatic at the time but may be carrying the virus."
"She doesn't want to bring it home to me or the kids — so it is certainly a concern. But she is also keen to help in any way she can…that's healthcare workers, that's how they operate. She will be taking every precaution she can to limit the spread to our bubble. What else can you do I suppose?"
