“This will be the pinnacle of my rowing career,” said American oarsman Terence Kooyker, five days before he races for Oxford in the 153rd Boat Race, sponsored by Xchanging.

Kooyker, who’s studying for an MSc in Science and Medicine of Athletic Performance at Keble College, will win his first Blue on Saturday after competing for the Isis crew, Oxford’s reserve boat, last year.

But the 23-year-old from New York City will decide after the race whether it will also be his last competitive race before he swaps the waters for a job with a hedge fund in his hometown after completing his Oxford degree this summer.

“On April 8th I plan to re-evaluate my rowing,” said Kooyker, who began rowing at school in New Jersey. “This is the pinnacle for me and I will decide after the race whether I’m going to carry on rowing at all.

“I’ve been doing it for 10 years now and will know on Sunday whether I’m going to finish with this year’s race. Winning the Boat Race would be the perfect way to end my career.

“I am confident that we can win,” added the man who will row in seat seven for the Dark Blues on Saturday. “The line-up changes we’ve made this week have improved things, and we can’t go into the race thinking any other way.

“There would be no point in being here if we didn’t think we were going to win it.”