Oxford\’s women and lightweight men triumphed over Cambridge in the Henley Boat Races on Sunday, ending a memorable weekend of rowing after Oxford\’s men won London\’s Xchanging Boat Race.
Nicole Scheumann, a Lincoln graduate student and captain of the college boat club who rowed for Oxford this weekend told Cherwell, \”We knew that Cambridge were a tough opposition this year, and that it would be a hard fight to turn around the predictions for Boat Race Day.
\”The crew and coaches were extremely focused over the last weeks, and we kept pushing every session…Arriving first at the finish was a huge relief!\”
The Dark Blue women were also helped to victory by Natalie Redgrave. whose father, five-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave, was cheering from the sidelines. After the race he said, \”I\’m really proud of her. She\’s got the ability to go to a higher level.
\”It\’s funny because she has always been adamant she wasn\’t going to row. But when we found out she started rowing we were pleasantly surprised.
\”Her mother started rowing at university and in two years was competing internationally and at the Olympics – so we have high hopes for her.\”
The 6\’2\’\’ Pembroke medical student was lured into rowing in Freshers\’ Week, although as she explained, \”I was never going to row, what Dad does; I was never going to do medicine, what Mum does. Now I\’m doing both.\”
Natalie\’s godfather, four-time Olympic gold medallist, Sir Matthew Pinsent, was also at the race to cheer Oxford on, having led the veterans\’ boat to victory over Cambridge on Friday.
Whilst Cambridge\’s Blondie boat beast Osiris in the women\’s reserves race, and also won the lightweight women\’s race, Oxford\’s lightweight men held out in a close-fought battle.
Sam Albanie, a third year Mathematician at Lincoln, said, \”After a strong start, we grimly fought off Cambridge all the way down the course as they lifted the rate and pushed back at us. It all came down to the last twenty strokes, and we hung on to win by a canvas\”.
Oxford\’s triumphs come as Oxford first year Constantine Louloudis has said that he has not yet ruled out taking a year off to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games.
The Trinity student is to row at the trials for this year\’s Great Britain team on April 16th in a coxless pair with Cambridge Blues rower George Nash.
Louloudis has said that he has a \”huge amount of respect\” for his former opponent.
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