Cambridge's recent stranglehold on the Boat Race continued as they pipped Oxford in both the men's and women's events by less than a length in a unique year for the traditional showdown between the two universities.
Moved away from its usual residence along the Thames to Ely in Cambridgeshire for the first time since the Second World War due to the coronavirus pandemic, the narrower Great Ouse presented moments of drama in both contests.
Sarah Winckless, the first female to umpire the men's race in the 166th edition, repeatedly warned Cambridge cox Charlie Marcus to alter his crew's line as they drifted in from the right of the river bank to the centre.
The @Gemini Boat Race RESULT 166th Men's Boat Race has been won by @CUBCsquad #Cambridge #LightBlue by just less than a length! Another epic race! Congratulations to @OxfordUniBC on an incredible race! #TheBoatRace #Excellence #Passion #Teamwork pic.twitter.com/6IWSQtNdLU — The Boat Race (@theboatrace) April 4, 2021
It was a bold strategy from Cambridge, who nevertheless avoided a clash of oars as they hit the front early on. While Oxford stayed hot on their heels of their great rivals, they were never able to reel them in.
"I had to be as far over as I could. I never fouled them, so that's what I had to do," Marcus said on BBC One. "About three strokes before the finish was when I thought we had this won."
Cambridge were left celebrating their third win in a row and a fourth in the last five events.
"You dream of this moment," Cambridge rower Theo Weinberger said. "I don't know what to say, it's two years' worth of training and hard work, it just means so much and I don't think there's anything you can quite compare it to."
