Olympics-Rowing-Murray, Bond win men's pair gold
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Heavy favorites Eric Murray and Hamish Bond of New Zealand did not disappoint on Thursday, claiming gold in the men's pair at the Olympic rowing regatta and extending their long-standing unbeaten streak.
Bond and Murray, who took gold in the event at 2012's London Games, had broken away with a commanding lead by the race's midway point, only widening the distance between themselves and the rest of the pack as the race went on.
The real excitement came in the second-place race, with South Africa, Britain and Italy all looking to be contenders for the silver as the pack headed into the home stretch. A vocal South African crowd cheered wildly as their home-country boat clinched second place. Italy took bronze.
The victory reaffirmed Murray and Bond's status as one the greatest rowing partnerships of all time. They have not lost a race since they teamed up in 2009.
(Reporting by Angus MacSwan and Amy Tennery, editing by Susanna Twidale)
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