The laureate, Hamish Bond, during a competition.

The double Olympic rowing champion, New Zealand Hamish Bond, has decided this year not to compete in rowing and has suggested that he could try to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Games in cycling. The remer kiwi, has demonstrated his cycling skills by finishing third in the 40-kilometre counter-clock race at the New Zealand national championships this Friday.

Bond, from the New Zealand cycling team Waikato, ran 40 km in 53: 05. He stayed 1 minute and 15 seconds from the winner, the professional runner Jack Bauer (Quick Step), who completed the race at 51: 45.

In rowing, Bond won two Olympic titles at the 2012 London Games and last year in Rio de Janeiro with Eric Murray, in addition to having eight world titles.

Bond, who fell off his bike during a training and also had gastroenteritis before the championships, had already competed in multiple-stage bike racing, including last November's Southland Tour.

Most remers use road cycling to improve their resilience, although Bond's likely decision to focus on this sport before Tokyo could force a reorganisation of New Zealand's rowing plans from 2018.

Another remer who was also given a year of assault during 2017 is his Olympic partner, Eric Murray.