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Rower-turned-cyclist Hamish Bond recognised as one of world's fittest athletes

January 17, 2019

The former champion rower is looking for more medals, this time on the bike.

Former Olympic rowing champion Hamish Bond has been recognised for his efforts on the bike as one of the fittest athletes in the world.

Sports Illustrated have unveiled their annual " Fittest 50 ", with Bond the only Kiwi to feature on the list, taking 19th place in the men's list.

It comes two years after All Blacks captain Kieran Read made the cut at No.14, but no All Blacks or Black Ferns - Sevens players included - made the cut this year.

Sports Illustrated recognised Bond on a list that included some of sports' global superstars, such as NBA stars LeBron James (7) and Russell Westbrook (13), Irish UFC fighter Conor McGregor (9), and Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo (2).

The list was compiled after Sports Illustrated gathered a panel of high performance experts and trainers to settle on the top 25 men and women in the world.

The experts noted Bond's past dominance in rowing but pointed out his seemless transition to cycling played a big part in their selection.

"A two-time Olympic gold medallist in the coxless pair at London 2012 and Rio '16 and world champion for six consecutive years, New Zealand's Hamish Bond dominated rowing for nearly a decade," Bond's description read.

"But the 32-year-old is now looking to make his mark in a second sport, switching to road cycling with an eye on Tokyo 2020 — clear evidence of his peak conditioning."

Taking out top spot in the men's list is NFL running back Saquon Barkley, who's dominant season with the New York Giants saw him become just the third rookie to clock up over 2000 running yards in a season. 

The women's list was topped by American gymnist Simone Biles.

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