Cambridge’s dominance continues. After a uniquely controversial buildup, the 170th men’s and 79th women’s events produced the expected result, with Oxford convincingly beaten in both. The Cambridge women’s crew claimed an eighth consecutive victory in dramatic circumstances while the men, after been pushed hard by Oxford early on, pulled away to seal a third successive win in crushing fashion.
In the unedifying pre-event row over eligibility that led to three Oxford athletes being barred from racing, Oxford were accused of “slimy tactics” by their light-blue rivals, but ultimately none of it appeared to have an impact on the final outcome – unless it made Cambridge all the more motivated.
The start of the women’s race could hardly have been more dramatic or confrontational. Cambridge took control immediately with a smooth, powerful start and Daniel Orton, the Oxford cox, steered aggressively into the early leaders’ line, apparently attempting to transform rowing into a contact sport.
The umpire, Matthew Pinsent, warned Orton but was left with no choice but to stop the contest after just 90 seconds after the crews’ oars repeatedly clashed and the boats slowed significantly, with Cambridge’s Sophia Hahn dislodged from her seat.
Pinsent raised the possibility of a “straight DQ” in consultation with the reserve umpire, Sarah Langslow, but ultimately decided to restart the race, avoiding a calamitous outcome for Oxford that would have been in keeping with a contentious buildup.
A dominant Cambridge took control again straight after the restart and never looked seriously troubled in sealing an eighth consecutive victory. They were two lengths in front by Barnes Bridge but Katy Hempson, the Cambridge bow, was not the only athlete reduced to tears of joy as the winning boat drifted towards a gaggle of cheering teammates on the riverbank in Mortlake.
“There was a clash between the crews that stopped the race,” Pinsent told the BBC. “To my mind, I was absolutely clearly warning Oxford in the run-up to that. When you’ve got two crews at a standstill, there was no way they were going to carry on racing.
“The clash was heavy enough that it was going to stop the race. There are a range of options you’ve got at that moment. You could DQ someone straight away. That pops into your mind. But you also can allow, after a restart, to see whether it affected the outcome. It’s never pleasant, a contentious boat race like that, but I’m convinced the better crew won, the faster crew won.”
Jack Nicholas, the Cambridge cox, told the BBC of the clash: “I was holding a line. Oxford really encroached on that territory. I just held that line.”
Orton struck a similar tone despite clearly having steered into Cambridge’s water. “Both crews are going to be fighting for the line … the umpire was warning here and there,” he said. “We moved when we were warned. We were just holding our line. That’s just the nature of the boat race.”
Annie Anezakis of Oxford said: “I’ve lost two prior to this one. The most meaningful things are the friendships I make and the memories I make along the way. Win or lose, I have those memories and those friendships for the rest of my life.”
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The start of the men’s race was delayed by what looked an insignificant piece of driftwood on the course and when hostilities began, Oxford succeeded in staying on terms for the first section of the four-mile, 374-yard course. But Cambridge had forged a lead by the Surrey Bend, taking the racing line and leaving Oxford struggling in their wake. They eventually won in a time of 16min 56.72sec, with Oxford 16.22sec behind.
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“It’s an indescribable feeling,” the Cambridge president Luca Ferraro said. “Crossing the line ahead after so many months of work. Really hard graft, and the guys put in so much. I asked a lot from them as president this year and they’ve bloody delivered. It’s the ultimate payoff.”
“First I want to say well done to Oxford,” said Cambridge’s George Bourne. “Thank you for the race, that was great, they’ve been fierce competitors. There is no doubt it was going to be close off the start … we just had a really nice ‘press’ as we came across the Fulham Football Club. We were really relaxed, really calm; you start to feel yourself move away and it’s the best feeling in the world. It was awesome.”