History was made today as the women’s boat race on the Thames was held at the same time as the men’s race for the first time ever.
Described by the BBC as ‘one of the last bastions of gender inequality’, female teams from Oxford and Cambridge were given the same coverage as men by racing on the same day and on the same course for the first time in the sports’ 87 year history.
Oxford were the clear favourites, for both the men and women’s team, and both did not disappoint. The women finished six and a half lengths ahead of their rivals, while the Oxford men won the event for the sixth time in eight years.
“It’s a really special moment, something I’ve been working towards for three years,” Oxford president Anastasia Chitty told BBC Sport.
“It’s even more special because so many women [have] not had this opportunity so it’s really humbling.”
The Cambridge president, Caroline Reid, put the loss down to a poor start and tricky conditions.
“We didn’t get off to our best start and Oxford did,” said Reid. “It was pretty horrendous around the halfway mark, with the wind against the tide and some pretty high waves.”
The Story: Oxford beat Cambridge in women’s race