The Boat Race 2024
{{Short description|Cambridge vs Oxford university rowing race}}
{{Infobox University Boat Races|name=The Boat Race 2024|image=|alt=|caption=|winner=Cambridge|margin=3 1/2 lengths|winning_time=18 minutes 56 seconds|overall=87–81|umpire=Matthew Pinsent|date=30 March 2024|womens_winner=Cambridge|womens_margin=7 lengths|womens_winning_time=|womens_overall=48–30|womens_umpire=Richard Phelps|reserve_winner=Goldie|womens_reserve_winner=Osiris|prevseason=2023|nextseason=2025}}
The Boat Race 2024 was a series of side-by-side rowing races in London which took place on 30 March 2024.
Held annually, The Boat Race is contested between crews from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, usually along a {{convert|4.2|mi|km|adj=on}} tidal stretch of the River Thames, known as the Tideway, in south-west London. This was the 78th women's race and the 169th men's race. Cambridge led the longstanding rivalry 86–81 and 47–30 in the men's and women's races, respectively.
Background
File:University Boat Race Thames map.svg along which the races were conducted (historic names used)]]
The Boat Race is an annual side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues"){{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/apr/06/theobserver |work=The Observer |title=Dark Blues aim to punch above their weight |date=6 April 2003 |access-date=9 July 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911000610/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/apr/06/theobserver |archive-date=11 September 2014 }} and the University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues"). First held in 1829, the race usually takes place on the {{convert|4.2|mi|km|adj=on}} Championship Course, between Putney and Mortlake on the River Thames in south-west London.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/london/10719622/University-Boat-Race-2014-spectators-guide.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=9 July 2014 |date=25 March 2014 |title=University Boat Race 2014: spectators' guide |first=Oliver |last=Smith |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701231555/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/london/10719622/University-Boat-Race-2014-spectators-guide.html |archive-date= 1 July 2014 }} The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities; the race is followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide.{{cite news|title=Former Winnipegger in winning Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race crew |date=6 April 2014 |publisher=CBC News |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/former-winnipegger-in-winning-oxford-cambridge-boat-race-crew-1.2600176 |access-date=9 July 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924083331/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/former-winnipegger-in-winning-oxford-cambridge-boat-race-crew-1.2600176 |archive-date=24 September 2014 }}{{cite web | url = http://theboatrace.org/men/tv-and-radio| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110175448/https://www.theboatrace.org/tv-radio | archive-date= 10 January 2020 | title = TV and radio | publisher = The Boat Race Company Limited | access-date = 7 July 2014}}
Coaches
Sean Bowden was the chief coach for OUBC, having been responsible for the men's crew since 1997, winning 13 from the previous 20 races. A former Great Britain Olympic coach, he led the Light Blues in the 1993 and 1994 Boat Races. Bowden's assistant coach was Brendan Gliddon, a South African who formerly coached under-23 and Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) teams for both South Africa and Great Britain.{{cn|date=March 2023}} The OUWBC chief coach was Allan French, formerly of Oxford Brookes University Boat Club. He was assisted by James Powell.{{cn|date=March 2023}}
The Cambridge men's crew coaching team was led by their chief coach, Rob Baker, who had previously coached Cambridge's women to victories in both the 2017 and 2018 races. Cambridge women's chief coach was Patrick Ryan who joined as CUBC's women's assistant coach in 2013. CUBC's assistant coaches included Bill Lucas, Matilda Horn and Nick Acock, with Henry Fieldman as the coxing coach and Donald Legget and Marko Banovic performing supporting roles.
Crews
The crews for both men's and women's boats were announced on 13th March 2024, at Battersea Power Station, London.
= Women =
| class="wikitable"
|+Women's crews ! rowspan="2" |Seat ! colspan="3" |Oxford ! colspan="3" |Cambridge |
| Name
!Nationality !College !Name !Nationality !College |
|---|
| Bow
|Sarah Marshall |British |Gemma King |British |
| 2
|Ella Stadler (P) |British/American |Jo Matthews |British |
| 3
|Tessa Haining |British/American |Clare Hole |British |
| 4
|Claire Aitken |British |Jenna Armstrong (P) |American |
| 5
|Julia Lindsay |Canadian |Carina Graf |German |
| 6
|Annie Sharp |British |Carys Earl |British/Swiss |
| 7
|Lucy Edmunds |British |Iris Powell |British |
| Stroke
|Annie Anezakis |Australian |Megan Lee |American |
| Cox
|Joe Gellett |British |Hannah Murphy |American |
| colspan="7" |(P) – Boat club president |
= Men =
| class="wikitable"
|+Men's crews ! rowspan="2" |Seat ! colspan="3" |Oxford ! colspan="3" |Cambridge |
| Name
!Nationality !College !Name !Nationality !College |
|---|
| Bow
|Saxon Stacey |British |Seb Benzecry (P) |British |
| 2
|Harry Glenister |British |Noam Mouelle |French |
| 3
|Jelmer Bennema |Dutch |Thomas Marsh |British/American |
| 4
|James Doran |British |Augustus John |British/Australian |
| 5
|Elias Kun |German |Kenneth Coplan |American |
| 6
|Fred Roper |Australian |Thomas Lynch |Canadian/Irish |
| 7
|Lenny Jenkins |British/New Zealand |Luca Ferraro |British |
| Stroke
|Elliott Kemp |British |Matthew Edge |British |
| Cox
|Will Denegri |British |Ed Bracey |British |
| colspan="7" |(P) – Boat club president: Louis Corrigan was the President of OUBC |
Details
The crews for both men's and women's boats were announced earlier in March 2024 at Battersea Power Station.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-15 |title=Crews announced for The Boat Race at public event |url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/24187137.boat-race-crews-announced-battersea-power-station/ |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=Oxford Mail |language=en}} The women's race was umpired by Richard Phelps and the men's by Matthew Pinsent.{{Cite web |title=Boat Race The 2024 Boat Race {{!}} Powered by Pocketmags |url=https://boatrace.pocketmags.com/magazine/reader/261559?pageNumber=58 |access-date=2024-03-30 |website=boatrace.pocketmags.com}}
Cambridge retained their title as winners of the Women's Boat Race for the seventh consecutive year, 7 lengths ahead of rivals Oxford. This took the overall record in the women's race to 48–30 to Cambridge. Cambridge beat the Oxford men by 3{{frac|1|2}} lengths in a time of 18m 56s in a tense encounter which featured the collapse of the Cambridge stroke Matt Edge in the closing stages of the race. As a result of Cambridge's victory the head-to-head record after the race stood at 87–81 in Cambridge's favour.{{Cite news |last=Kidd |first=Patrick |date=2024-03-30 |title=Boat Race 2024: Cambridge seal double victory despite Matt Edge collapse |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/boat-race-2024-results-oxford-cambridge-gtbn8pg58 |access-date=2024-03-30 |work=The Times |language=en |issn=0140-0460}} Oxford women's boat Osiris won the women's reserves race.{{Cite news |last=Briggs |first=Simon |last2=Wilcox |first2=Greg |date=2024-03-30 |title=Boat Race 2024 result: Cambridge thrash Oxford to claim men's and women's double |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rowing/2024/03/30/boat-race-2024-live-updates-oxford-cambridge-university/ |access-date=2024-03-30 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}} Cambridge's Goldie won the men's reserves race.{{Cite web |last=Fraser |first=Alexandra |date=2024-03-30 |title=Cambridge win the 78th Women's and 169th Men's Boat Races |url=https://www.britishrowing.org/2024/03/cambridge-win-the-78th-womens-and-169th-mens-boat-races/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=British Rowing |language=en-GB}} Cambridge's men and women secured victory in The Lightweight Boat Races.{{Cite web |last=Weir |first=Iain |date=2024-03-29 |title=Cambridge Dominates in Men's Lightweight Boat Race Amidst Challenging Conditions |url=https://www.theboatrace.org/news/cambridge-dominates-in-mens-lightweight-boat-race-amidst-challenging-conditions |access-date=2024-03-30 |website=The Boat Race |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Weir |first=Iain |date=2024-03-29 |title=Cambridge Women's Lightweight Crew Secures Victory in a Tense Battle Against Oxford |url=https://www.theboatrace.org/news/cambridge-womens-lightweight-crew-secures-victory-in-a-tense-battle-against-oxford |access-date=2024-03-30 |website=The Boat Race |language=en}}
The race was broadcast internationally on television.{{Cite web |title=Broadcast Coverage of The Gemini Boat Race |url=https://www.theboatrace.org/broadcast-coverage |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=The Boat Race |language=en}} Fox News, CNN, The New York Times, CBS and other international media organisations ran stories about the poor water quality in the Thames, specifically citing excrement in the water during the race.{{Cite news |date=2024-03-30 |title='You wouldn't put your dog in this river': Boat Race exposes Thames Water failings |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/mar/30/you-wouldnt-put-your-dog-in-this-river-boat-race-exposes-thames-water-failings |access-date=2024-03-30 |work=The Observer |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712}}{{cite news |last1=McLaughlin |first1=Luke |title=Oxford Boat Race crew reveal sickness problems after Cambridge double up |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/mar/30/boat-race-report-cambridge-oxford |access-date=31 March 2024 |publisher=The Observer |date=30 March 2024}} Thames Water responded saying improving river health was a "key focus" for the company,{{Cite news |date=2024-03-30 |title=Boat Race: Oxford rowers criticise sewage levels in River Thames |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-68701486 |access-date=2024-03-31 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} which recently completed the Thames Tideway Tunnel 'super sewer' to stop sewage overflows and improve water quality in the Thames.{{Cite news |date=2024-03-27 |title=Thames Tideway Tunnel super sewer completed |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68464798 |access-date=2024-03-31 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite news |date=2023-09-24 |title=In London, the Long Wait for a Super Sewer Is Almost Over |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-09-24/london-s-thames-tideway-super-sewer-promises-a-cleaner-river |access-date=2024-03-31 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The Boat Race}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boat Race 2024, The}}
Category:2024 in English sport
Category:2024 in sport in London