Rowing: Bond and Murray end a golden year

Eric Murray, left and Hamish Bond. Photo / Getty Images

Gold-medal rowing champions Hamish Bond and Eric Murray shunned second helpings of Christmas pudding yesterday.

They have two more days to digest the delights of Christmas before they'll be back on the water training hard.

The pair, who wrapped up the year with an unbeaten season, head to training camp on Tuesday and will be expected on Lake Karapiro, where they won gold at the World Championships in November, at 7am on New Year's Day.

"Winning on home water, regardless of what happens the rest of my career, it will be a highlight," says Bond.

"Apart from an Olympic gold medal, I don't think anything will top it."

The flawless record was hard won. The duo surged past British rivals Andy Triggs Hodge and Peter Reed in the final moments of the world champs final to take the gold medal by just 0.32 seconds in front of an elated home crowd.

Eric Murray gives 2010 "two thumbs up". "It's been a dream year for us," he says.

Following their big victory, the pair had a three-week break from training. Murray took a long-postponed honeymoon-six days in Rarotonga with wife Jackie. The couple have been married four years and in that

time Murray has spent a total of a year away from home.

"She really deserved to get away," says Murray.

Now their sights are set firmly on the 2012 Olympics in London.

"You can't win gold medals at this time of the year, but you can certainly lose them," says Bond. "If you lose your fitness, you have to start all over again."