"He's Otago born and bred. He's one of ours and we're so pleased he's one of ours."
So says Ellen Seaton, secretary of Dunedin's North End Rowing Club, about Hamish Bond.
Bond and Eric Murray yesterday won their second Olympic gold medal in the men's coxless pair.
Victory in Rio capped a winning streak that's now lasted 69 international races and 24 regattas.
Seaton says Dunedin is revelling in the exploits of one its favourite sons.
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull says the achievement has generated a golden glow in the city.
"There's a tremendous sense of excitement and pride in seeing someone who learned their trade down here being so successful on the world stage.
"We're extremely proud of Hamish and Eric's achievements, both in terms of securing the gold at Rio but also their incredible record together over a sustained period of time.
"Hamish is helping to inspire a new generation of southern rowers to aim high and believe they can also be an Olympic gold medallist and world champion one day."
Bond is a former head boy of Otago Boys' High School, who summed up the mood on their Facebook page: "Congratulations Hamish Bond and Eric Murray - Gold in Rio!"
The school's Facebook page later posted the message "Topical starter in English today..." with the following photo:
Bond, 30, started rowing while at high school. "I wasn't playing a summer sport at the time," he told World Rowing in 2013. "I did play cricket but quit because I didn't enjoy spending a day standing on a field. I was a boarder at the school and the senior rowing kids came around and grabbed all of us who weren't playing a sport and chucked us into a van and took us rowing. So I was pretty much forced to start. I was 13."
Guided by coach and mentor Fred Strachan, he started crafting a reputation that has continued to grow since he teamed up with Murray. The pair have a string of world championship golds as well as their Olympic wins.
Victory in Rio did more than earn the pair gold medals. It turned Dunedin gold too.
ANZ, major sponsor of the New Zealand Olympic team, is turning ATMs across the country gold every time we strike gold in Rio. Bond and Murray's win meant the ATM at 300 George St in Dunedin was the first.
A spokesman for the bank said the initiative highlighted its support for the Kiwi team.
"We are a major sponsor of the team and part of our role is supporting them to get to Rio to achieve their dreams. The communities the athletes come from are immensely proud of their athletes, as are we, and we wanted to create a way for ANZ to provide that physical acknowledgement in these towns, celebrating the towns support and pride and the athletes achievement.
"They are making NZ proud."
An ATM in Cambridge - Murray's hometown - will get a similar treatment next week.
There are no signs Bond is forgetting his roots either. Seaton says he's still part of North End Rowing Club and, with Strachan, will speak at their 125th anniversary dinner next year.