Oxford and Cambridge have been training all year to face each other this weekend and today, at 5.55pm, one of the oldest sporting games in the world was celebrated: the 160th Boat Race.
The race is 6.8 Km long and it took place over the River Thames, from Putney to Mortlake. The itinerary is better known as the Championship Course and it has been used since 1845 with only three exceptions. In 1846, 1856 and 1863 the race was held in the opposite direction.
This year Oxford University won by 11 lengths, the biggest margin of victory since 1973. With this triumph they achieve their fifth victory in seven years.
Cambridge had the heaviest crew with 2.6kg per man more than Oxford, but they had the youngest team, 24 against 26 years old. Unfortunately, and besides the two teams had strong squads, the two oar of the Cambridge boat hit the seven oar of the Oxford boat. It was a disaster for Cambridge. The oar number two, Luke Juckett, was devastated.
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| Photograph: The Guardian |
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Photograph: The Independent
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Curiosity:
Do you know that the actor and comedian Hugh Laurie rowed in the Blue Boat in 1980?
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| Hugh Laurie training in the 1980 Cambridge crew |
If you prefer another type of rivalry, we have another suggestion.
On the same day as the Boat Race another Oxford's representative beat Cambridge in the sixth annual Goat Race. Barney, also known as Cambridge, won the fifth previous races against Bramble, or Oxford. Last year both of them were retired and this year we enjoyed with two African pygmy goats.
The Spitalfields City Farm organised the event to raise funds and help the animals.
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