Cambridge maintains Boat Race dominance to win men’s and women’s events

LONDON (AP) — Cambridge secured a double victory in the Boat Race on Sunday by winning the men’s and women’s events over Oxford.

The wins continued Cambridge’s dominant run in the famous race along the River Thames, winning the men’s race for the sixth time in the last seven events and the third year in a row. The women won for the eighth time in succession.

It was the 170th edition of the men’s race between Oxford and Cambridge universities, which first took place in 1829.

Cambridge men led early on and maintained their advantage for a convincing win along the 4.2-mile (6.8-kilometer) stretch of the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake.

It was the 79th edition of the women’s race, which had to be restarted when Oxford crossed Cambridge’s path and there was a clash of oars and the boats became locked together. Cambridge was given a third of a length advantage when the race was restarted.

FILE – The Oxford, foreground, and Cambridge boats compete at the start of the Varsity Boat Race on the Great Ouse river at Ely in Cambridgeshire, England, Sunday April 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Ian Walton, Pool, File)

Umpire Matthew Pinsent said he could have disqualified Oxford.

“The clash was heavy enough that it was going to stop the race. There are a range of options you’ve got at that moment. You could DQ someone straight away, you can do a restart,” he told the BBC. “(Disqualification) pops into your mind, but you also can allow after a restart to see whether it affected the outcome of the race, and obviously in my opinion it did not affect the outcome of that race, and that’s what is going on in my head now.”