THE Women’s Boat Race was dramatically stopped after Oxford and Cambridge oars collided.
Former Olympic gold medallist Sir Matthew Pinsent was the umpire and called the stoppage.
BBCOxford drifted towards Cambridge and their oars clashed[/caption]
BBCUmpire Matthew Pinsent raised the red flag[/caption]
BBCHe considered disqualifying Oxford before deciding on a restart with Cambridge given a third of a length advantage[/caption]
BBCIt was the first time a restart was required since 2012[/caption]
Just over a minute into the race as they approached Fulham‘s Craven Cottage, the two boats got dangerously close as Oxford drifted towards Cambridge.
They were given a warning by the four-time Olympic champion but it did not prevent a tangle between the teams’ oars.
The collision knocked Cambridge‘s Sophia Hahn out of her seat.
Pinsent immediately raised the red flag and shouted down the megaphone for both teams to stop rowing.
He discussed the incident with his assistants and they even considered disqualifying Oxford.
Pinsent could be heard questioning: “Do you think that is a straight DQ?”
But they decided not to give them the most severe penalty and instead restart with Cambridge given a third of a length advantage.
It helped Cambridge, led by cox Jack Nicholas, seal victory in a time of 19:25.
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Cambridge have now beaten Oxford in the women’s event EIGHT times in a row.
It was the first time there had to be a restart in the Boat Race since 2012.
On the decision to call a stoppage, Pinsent said post-race: “There was a clash between the crews that stopped the race. To my mind, I was warning Oxford. The clash was heavy enough to stop the race.
“There were a range of options. You could disqualify them straight away. That did pop into my mind but you can also see, after the restart, if it affected the outcome of the race.
“I’m convinced the better crew, the faster crew, won.”
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