Olympians, World Champions and Undergraduates team-up at The Fours Head

Olympians, World Champions and Undergraduates team-up for the first big race of The Boat Race season


Both Oxford and Cambridge put in strong performances this weekend, as weather conditions gave crews the opportunity to give their best performance. It was the first opportunity to compare the strength and depth in the Oxford and Cambridge teams. Racing against the best crews in the UK, Cambridge and Oxford Women finished second in their top categories with Cambridge men second in open Championship Coxed Fours and sixth in Coxless Fours.


The decision whether to place top athletes in coxed or coxless boats is very much a personal call for the coaches and will be a decision based on a number of factors; steering knowledge and experience of rowers on the Tideway, equipment available and coxing opportunities for coxes. Cambridge women had 4 crews racing made up of 2 coxless and 2 coxed fours Oxford entered 5 crews, 3 coxed and 2 coxless fours.


In Championship Coxless Fours, Cambridge’s crew contained three 2020 Olympians; Imogen Grant, Kiwis Ruby Tew, Gold and Silver Medallist Grace Prendergast and President Bronya Sykes put in a very strong performance to come second to Leander Club, with Oxford a minute behind, two seconds ahead of the next Cambridge crew.


In the Women’s Championship Coxed Fours, Oxford’s crew with Canadian Tokyo Olympian Gabrielle Smith, US World Bronze Medallist Erin Reelick, President and GB U23 World Champion Amelia Standing, GB World Bronze Medallist and multiple winning Blue, Anastasia Posner, coxed by undergraduate Emily Twinn, were an impressive second to Leander Club. The coxed four was some way ahead of the rest of the pack, 30 seconds ahead of their Oxford team mates who placed 3rd who were in turn 4 seconds ahead of 4th placed Cambridge. Cambridge and Oxford were further placed 7th and 9th in this division.
Oxford Women placed 2nd in Women’s Academic Coxless Fours behind Imperial College London.


Cambridge men entered five crews, 4 coxed crews and 1 coxless crew. The Open Championship Coxless Four Cambridge steered by Ollie Parish were placed 6th behind Leander Club and Oxford Brookes. The Championship Coxed Four saw Cambridge made up of GB Tokyo Olympic Bronze Medallists Tom George and Ollie Wynne-Griffith teamed up with former Cal Berkeley George Finlayson and undergraduate Luca Ferraro place 2nd. This crew were 30 seconds ahead of their next Cambridge crew who were 40 seconds ahead of the following Cambridge crew.


A good first test for the crews, … next up The Presidents’ Challenge where Oxford will challenge Cambridge to race next April. This historically important occasion officially starts The Boat Race season …