New Zealand's ace rowing pair Hamish Bond and Eric Murray aren't about to start turning cartwheels at news their toughest Olympic rivals have dropped out of the event.
Since teaming up in the pair in 2009, Bond and Murray have been unstoppable, and unbeaten through three world championships and a raft of World Cup regattas.
Always on their heels have been Britons Peter Reed and Andy Triggs Hodge, but they've never been able to get their noses in front at the finish line through 14 meetings over that period.
However, British coach Jurgen Grobler has replaced two of the men who won the world title in the four last year, Matt Langridge and Ric Edington, with Reed and Triggs Hodge for London in August. The four is a blue riband event for the British, who have won the last three gold medals in the class.
Grobler has cut his losses, making it clear that consolidating a genuine gold medal chance takes priority over an outside chance in the pair.
