Cambridge University names crews to contest the 2021 Gemini Boat Races on the River Great Ouse in Ely
Cambridge and Oxford Universities have named their crews to compete in the Gemini Boat Races on Easter Sunday.
On a digital crew announcement this morning, the line-ups have been revealed for the historic race which will take place as a closed event on the River Great Ouse in Ely on April 4, and broadcast live on the BBC.
For the 75th Women's Boat Race, the Light Blues have named a crew that includes one newcomer to the squad this year and that is Lucy Cavendish’s Sarah Tisdall, who will be in the stroke seat.
The rest of the Blue boat went through the trialing process last year, before the race was cancelled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
There are three rowers from Newnham College in the crew, Sarah Portsmouth, Caoimhe Dempsey and Adriana Perez Rotondo.
Past president Abigail Parker will be alongside current president Sophie Paine in the engine room.
Anouska Fenley is the second rower from Lucy Cavendish, Gonville & Caius’ Bronya Sykes will be in the No 7 seat and the boat will be coxed by Dylan Whittaker.
"So many of us have trained for nearly two years for this race," said Girton College student Paine.
"We've been through highs and lows though never losing sight of the goal.
"I know we are all itching to get to the start line - we can't wait to fight fire with fire.
"The team has returned to the water with a renewed focus and a commitment to the mission.
"We know that we have a job to do and that every stroke counts."
President Callum Sullivan is a returning Blue from 2019 for Cambridge in the 166th Men’s Boat Race.
He is joined in the boat by fellow Peterhouse student Ollie Parish, who would have been in the stroke seat in last year’s reserve Goldie crew for the cancelled race and would have been joined by St John’s College student Theo Weinberger, who will be in the bow seat this year.
In the engine room are Fitzwilliam’s Quinten Richardson, Jesus’s Seb Benzecry and St Edmund’s Garth Holden.
Clare College’s Drew Taylor will be in the stroke seat, while they will be coxed by Trinity College’s Charlie Marcus.
"The team has learned to adapt to an unfamiliar training programme, continuing to make physiological and technical improvements despite being unable to train on the water or in the Goldie Boathouse gym," said Sullivan.
"For the majority of the team, lockdowns have meant carrying out the programme alone, often in their bedrooms.
"In order to get the most out of these periods, we have maintained communication within the team and given athletes the resources to manage their own training at a high standard."
In the Oxford men’s crews, there are three returning Blues from 2019, Felix Drinkhall, Tobias Schroder and Augustin Wambersie.
The women’s race will be 3.50pm and followed by the men’s race at 4.50pm.
Cambridge women's crew: Cox Dylan Whittaker (King's), stroke Sarah Tisdall (Lucy Cavendish), Bronya Sykes (Gonville & Caius), Sophie Paine (Girton), Anouska Fenley (Lucy Cavendish), Caoimhe Dempsey (Newnham), Abigail Parker (Emmanuel), Sarah Portsmouth (Newnham), bow Adriana Perez Rotondo (Newnham).
Oxford women's crew: Cox Costi Levy (Exeter), stroke Katherine Maitland (St Hugh's), Julia Lindsay (St Cross), Georgina Grant (Harris Manchester), Martha Birtles (Mansfield), Amelia Standing (St Anne's), Meg Stoker (St Peter's), Anja Zehfuss (Green Templeton), bow Katie Anderson (Brasenose).
Cambridge men's crew: Cox Charlie Marcus (Trinity), stroke Drew Taylor (Clare), Callum Sullivan (Peterhouse), Ollie Parish (Peterhouse), Garth Holden (St Edmund's), Quniten Richardson (Fitzwilliam),
Seb Benzecry (Jesus), Ben Dyer (Gonville & Caius), bow Theo Weinberger (St John's).
Oxford men's crew: Cox Jesse Oberst (Pembroke), stroke Augustin Wambersie (St Catherine's), Joshua Bowesman-Jones (Keble), Jean-Philippe Defour (Lincoln), Tobias Schroeder (Magdalene), Felix Drinkall (Lady Margaret), Martin Barakso (Kellogg), Alex Bebb (St Peter's), stroke James Forward (Pembroke).
