March 30, 2024, 3:15 p.m
Updated 48 minutes ago
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Cambridge completed the double in the men's and women's boat races for the second year in a row
Cambridge won the men's boat race, completing a double over university rivals Oxford after winning the women's race.
It was Cambridge's fifth win from the last six on the men's side and seventh consecutive win on the women's side.
After the race, Oxford rower Leonard Jenkins said some of the crew were struggling with illness.
“This is not to take away from Cambridge at all, but I would also like to say that we have a few people who have become quite seriously ill with E. coli,” said the number seven from Oxford.
“This morning I threw up and wasn't sure if I could do the race. I kept quiet about it and ultimately that's on my shoulders, it might not have been the right choice because I didn't give it my all.” Give in in this race.
“It would be much nicer if there wasn’t so much feces in the water. That’s not a disadvantage for Cambridge because we might not have beaten them even if we were all at our best.”
None of the winning teams entered the water after their victories, and crews were also asked to take extra precautions, including covering blisters and wearing footwear when getting in and out of the boats.
The men’s victory is an “incredible feeling”
Cambridge dominated the men's race, leading by more than 10 seconds, but slowed towards the end when Matt Edge was on the verge of collapse.
But Edge and his team took a comfortable victory.
There were some early warnings of collisions with the oars, but after about five minutes Cambridge were more than a length ahead.
Oxford slipped further back but had a glimmer of hope on the final straight when Edge began to struggle, his rudder barely scraping the water.
But their slower start cost them as Cambridge had enough distance to hold on.
“This was my last race with this club and I knew it would be a challenge,” said Cambridge president Sebastian Benzecry.
“We put a lot into it and got ourselves to a place we rarely go, but it's an incredible feeling. They never gave up and I’m so proud of all the boys.”
In the end, Edge had to be carried off the boat.
The men's head-to-head is 87-81 in Cambridge's favor and they also lead the women's race at 48-30.
Cambridge continues the dominance of women
The Cambridge women won their race for the seventh time in a row with another clear victory.
Oxford was warned after almost colliding with its opponents. They got off to a flying start, but were overtaken after about 10 minutes and were unable to recover.
“We believed in it all along, even after it launched,” said Gemma King from Cambridge.
“We know that our speed is our strength and that we can catch up.”
Oxford coxswain Joe Gellett lodged an appeal at the end of the race, believing the Cambridge boat had crossed their path, but after a debate with referee Richard Phelps the appeal was dismissed.
Phelps said Oxford actually pulled into Cambridge train station and hit their boat.
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