Oxford: Tobias Bernard (Cox), Harry Geffen (Stroke), Alex Sullivan, Jamie Arnold, Alex Underwood, Fergus Pim, James Fetter, Julian Sch\u00f6berl, Felix Crabtree<\/p>\n
Cambridge: Sammy Houdaigui (Cox), Frederik Breuer (Stroke), William Klipstine, Alexander McClean, Gabriel Obholzer, Patrick Wild, Kyle Fram, Noam Mouelle, Simon Hatcher<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhat a fucking awesome day,\u201d says the Oxford cox Louis Corrigan on Channel 4. It\u2019s been a nine-year wait for it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Long looks particularly emotional and, well, exhausted.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Oxford win the women’s Boat Race!<\/p>\n After eight consecutive defeats, Oxford have their win. Heidi Long and her teammates can roar.<\/p>\n Victory for Oxford! Photograph: Yui Mok\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.50 EDT<\/p>\n The gap has closed slightly between the two crews as Matt Moran takes his boat closer to the Middlesex side \u2026 but Oxford are closing in.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Barnes Bridge is on the screen as Oxford get ready to pass through first.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Matt Moran is the Cambridge cox who made that gamble to shift line \u2026 and Oxford have moved over to cover it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The water\u2019s looking awfully choppy. Cambridge, at Chiswick Eyot, have decided to take another line, moving closer to the Surrey side.<\/p>\n The Cambridge crew trailing the Oxford crew. Photograph: Yui Mok\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.42 EDT<\/p>\n Oxford\u2019s lead is worth more than six seconds at the Hammersmith Bridge. That losing run is surely coming to an end.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Oxford are moving closer to the Surrey side as they lead by a length. Hammersmith Bridge comes into view.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Oxford\u2019s lead grows as we pass Craven Cottage \u2013 Cambridge are four and a half seconds behind at the Mile Post.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Harvey warns Oxford multiple times as the boats approach Craven Cottage. Cambridge aren\u2019t letting the Dark Blues pull away.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Oxford make an electric start, nipping ahead immediately.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Away we go!<\/p>\n Clare Harvey, the umpire, brings down the red flag. The women\u2019s race begins!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Cambridge women won the coin toss and they\u2019ll start on the Surrey side.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> The women\u2019s crews are in position, side-by-side on the water. Our skipper says there has been clearance for the race to start on time, so we should be off in about five minutes. Someone alongside me in the boat, who has forgotten more about rowing than I know, says: \u201cI really think Oxford could do it …\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n As the TV coverage focuses on Heidi Long, who won bronze at the Paris Olympics, here\u2019s what she had to say to Luke, speaking movingly about her late father.<\/p>\n double quotation markI\u2019d get in the car sometimes and he\u2019d be like: \u2018How was rowing?\u2019 and I\u2019d just give a two-word answer, probably like most teenagers. And honestly right now, what I would do for him to just pick me up, and just chat about rowing.<\/p>\n I love being able to talk about him because he was such an incredible man. So much positive energy. He cared about so many people and he fought so hard through his disease. I can do 10 more strokes in a rowing race. That\u2019s nothing compared to what he did.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Stephan Freischem \u2013 father of Mia Freischem (Cambridge) and Lilli Freischem (Oxford), speaking at the start outside Thames Rowing<\/a> Club in Putney.<\/p>\n He resides in Cologne, Germany and works as a patent attorney.<\/p>\n double quotation markSplit allegiance today \u2026 actually on the one side it\u2019s calming, because we know one of our daughters will win. On the other side, it\u2019s just amazing.<\/p>\n The sisters\u2019 race is all over the media in Germany. It\u2019s in Der Spiegel \u2013 the magazines and newspapers are full of it. I\u2019ve never seen that before. The German people are interested in the Boat Races as an English tradition, but the country usually doesn\u2019t pay that much attention. It is very exciting to see how the sisters\u2019 news boosts the news about the Boat Race.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t a sacrifice [to support his daughters]. We have always tried to raise independent kids, interested kids. And we did not think that we would be so successful. They are interested, they are competitive, and they are nice people. So we are in heaven, actually. We didn\u2019t expect to be so successful.<\/p>\n They are very supportive of each other.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.57 EDT<\/p>\n Our man on the ground is Luke McLaughlin \u2026 and, well, he\u2019s watching from a boat.<\/p>\n double quotation markJust departed on the media launch for the women\u2019s race. Lifejackets on. Plenty of excitement on the riverbank with big cheers from the gathering crowds for the Oxford and Cambridge crews … Under normal circumstances I am in the media room at the finish \u2013 this is a lot more fun.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s sister taking on sister: yep, Oxford\u2019s Lilli Freischem against younger sibling Mia. Mia is doing a PhD in surgery and, as noted on the event\u2019s official website, \u201chadn\u2019t heard of the Boat Race until my sister competed in the reserve race in 2023\u201d. Quite the flex if she goes on to beat Lilli.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.44 EDT<\/p>\n The women’s crews<\/p>\n Oxford: Louis Corrigan (Cox), Heidi Long (Stroke), Sarah Marshall, Esther Briz Zamorano, Kyra Delray, Julietta Camahort, Lilli Freischem, Emily Molins, Annie Anezakis<\/p>\n Cambridge: Matt Moran (Cox), Aidan Wrenn-Walz (Stroke), Mia Freischem, Camille Vandermeer, Antonia Galland, Carys Earl, Charlotte Ebel, Isobel Campbell, Gemma King<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Please do get in touch<\/a> if you\u2019re lining up by the Thames or watching on from home. It\u2019s a cloudy day in London but the rain looks to be staying away.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.31 EDT<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a reminder of the course the crews must navigate. We begin in Putney for a 6.8 km-long race, passing Craven Cottage, Hammersmith Bridge, Chiswick Eyot and Barnes Bridge, finishing before Chiswick Bridge. If you\u2019re ahead at Hammersmith Bridge, you\u2019re pretty much nailed on to win.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Welcome to the latest edition of the sports day that got a little out of hand. The Boat Races \u2013 contested by crews from Oxford and Cambridge universities \u2013 are back, nearly 200 years on from the first men\u2019s race.<\/p>\n The buildup has been less eventful than last year: yes, how can we forget the PGCE eligibility hoo-ha<\/a> and those high E coli levels<\/a>. This time round the focus is on a fresh look, with Channel 4 taking over coverage from the BBC<\/a>. Reality TV\u2019s Jamie Laing is one new presenter. We wait to see if this gets down with the kidz.<\/p>\n As for the actual contest, well, it hasn\u2019t really been one for a while. Cambridge\u2019s men have won six of the last seven races and look primed to make it four successive victories. It\u2019s worse for Oxford\u2019s women, who have lost eight in a row. But their long wait looks like it\u2019ll end today, with the Dark Blues \u2013 led by Olympic medallist Heidi Long \u2013 starting as favourites. The women\u2019s race begins at 2.21pm BST, the men\u2019s an hour later. Get in, we\u2019re going rowing.<\/p>\n![\"Luke](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Luke_McLaughlin.png\")
Luke McLaughlin<\/p>\nLuke McLaughlin<\/p>\n