This week saw the official announcement of the men’s and women’s Blue Boats to contest The Gemini Boat Race on 3rd April.
After the pandemic caused the cancellation in 2020 and a move away from the Tideway in 2021, the race finally returns to its spiritual home on the Championship course from Putney to Mortlake. Almost in celebration of that fact the crews representing Oxford and Cambridge are, on paper, some of the finest ever seen. Post-Olympic years always tend to attract senior international athletes who are looking to improve their academic qualifications and also scratch the rowing itch that is the University Boat race. This year all four Blue Boats have an embarrassment of riches with no fewer than 13 athletes with Olympic experience, and a further 4 senior internationals, the most ever to race in the Boat Race.
So, as I do every year, here is my seat-by-seat comparison of the Oxford and Cambridge women’s boats.
Bow
Oxford
Name: Julia Lindsay
Nationality: Canadian
Age: 25
Lindsay is one of four returning Dark Blues from the 2021 crew that lost in Ely. A graduate of the University of British Columbia with whom she won the Canadian University Championships in 2018 and 2019 and also won gold in the LW2X at the Canada Summer Games, she was also awarded the University of British Columbia’s female athlete of the year in 2020.
Cambridge
Name: Adriana Perez Rotundo
Nationality: Spanish
Age: 26
A graduate of Columbia University, Perez Rotundo didn’t start rowing until 2017 when she went up to Cambridge to read for a Masters in Applied Mathematics. She took to the sport like a veritable duck to water and was selected for Blondie in 2020 and then was in the winning Blue Boat crew in 2021.
Verdict: Both athletes are returning Blues, but it’ll the first time racing on the Tideway, I’m going to give this as a small advantage to Oxford.
2
Oxford
Name: Amelia Standing
Nationality: British
Age: 22
This year’s President, Standing is another returning Blue. She also raced in the 2019 Blue Boat and was selected for the 2020 crew. In 2021 she made her international debut winning gold at the u23 World Championships in the coxless four. She’s also one of only three undergraduates in the Oxford boat.
Cambridge
Name: Caoimhe Dempsey
Nationality: Irish
Age: 26
The 2nd of 5 returning Blues, Dempsey is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. She represented Ireland at the European U23 Championships and also at the Home International Regatta.
Verdict: Although Dempsey has the advantage of a Boat Race win to her credit, I’m going to give this to Standing.
3
Oxford
Name: Christine Cavallo
Nationality: American
Age: 26
One of two Stanford graduates in the boat, Cavallo made her senior international debut in 2018 finishing 4th in the LW4X at the World Championships. In 2019 she moved into the LW2X placing 10th at the worlds. In 2021 she represented the USA at the World Beach Sprint Championships, winning a bronze medal in the quad. During her time at Stanford she won silver in the Lightweight varsity at the IRA Championships.
Cambridge
Name: Paige Badenhorst
Nationality: South African
Age: 23
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Badenhorst represented South Africa at the 2016 World Junior Championships. Whilst at Michigan she raced in the 2V crew that won gold at the Big 10 Championships and 4th at the NCAA Championships.
Verdict: another seat where the Dark Blues have the edge.
4
Oxford
Name: Anja Zehfuss
Nationality: American
Age: 23
The 2nd Stanford graduate in the Dark Blue boat, Zehfuss is another returning Blue from the losing 2021 crew. Whilst at Stanford she picked up a silver medal at the PAC-12 championships and made the grand final of the NCAA’s and also won the San Diego Crew Classic.
Cambridge
Name: Ruby Tew
Nationality: New Zealand
Age: 28
The first of three Olympians in the Cambridge boat, Tew raced in the W4x in Tokyo finishing 8th. She’s been racing as a senior international since 2015 winning a silver medal in the W8 that year before going on to make the Olympic final in Rio. Another World Championship medal in the W8 followed in 2017 before moving to the quad for Tokyo.
Verdict: A clear advantage to the Light Blues
5
Oxford
Name: Anastasia Posner
Nationality: British
Age: 28
2021 sees Posner win her 5th Blue, she was a member of the Oxford boats from 2013 – 2016 winning all four races and was elected President for the 2015 race. She also has a significant amount of international racing experience to her credit. She was a member of the Great Britain W8 that finished 5th at the 2017 World Championships and then won silver at the 2018 European Championships. She also raced in the W2- at the 2nd World Cup of 2019.
Cambridge
Name: Bronya Sykes
Nationality: British
Age: 22
The third returning Blue in the Light Blue Boat. Sykes learnt to row at Trafford Rowing Club and is this year’s Cambridge President. She recently raced at the GB Senior trials 9with crewmate Sarah Portsmouth) finishing an outstanding 6th in the W2-
Verdict: it’s difficult to go against the huge experience of Posner in the Dark Blue boat
6
Oxford
Name: Gabrielle Smith
Nationality: Canadian
Age: 27
The sole Olympian in the Oxford boat, Smith raced in the W2X in Tokyo reaching the A-Final. A graduate of McGill University, she made her international debut in 2018 winning a silver medal in the W2X at the Lucerne World Cup and went on to finish 6th at the World Championships. In 2019 she qualified the boat for Tokyo with a 4th place at the World Championships. She also represented Canada at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Cambridge
Name: Sarah Portsmouth
Nationality: British
Age: 21
The youngest rower in the Light Blue boat, Portsmouth has already a winning Blue to her credit having been a member of the 2021 crew. She learnt to row at Yarm school and represented Great Britain at the Coupe de la Jeunesse in 2018. As mentioned above, she recently trialled for the GB team and will be looking to win a spot on the U23 team for this year’s World Championships.
Verdict: Whilst Portsmouth is definitely a talented athlete, and one to watch for the future, the Olympic experience of Smith gives the Dark Blues the clear advantage.
7
Oxford
Name: Erin Reelick
Nationality: American
Age: 28
Another athlete with senior international experience to her credit. Reelick, a graduate of Princeton University, won three U23 world titles in 2014 and 2015 before making her senior debut in 2017. She became senior World Champion in the W4- in 2018, and in 2019 raced in the W8 winning a bronze medal. Whilst at Princeton she won the Ivy League Championships and also Henley Women’s Regatta.
Cambridge
Name: Grace Prendergast
Nationality: New Zealand
Age: 29
In 2021 Prendergast was ranked as the number one female rower in the world. She made her senior debut in 2013 and has a truly impressive rowing CV. She won her first senior international medal in 2014 taking gold in the W4-. A year later she picked up two silver medals in the W8 and W2- and in 2016 made her Olympic debut just missing the podium in the W8. In 2017 she won her 2nd world title taking the W2- with partner Kerri Gowler and followed this with silver in 2018. In 2019 she won gold again in the W2- and was also a member of the gold medal W8. In Tokyo she won gold in the W2- and silver in the W8. The oldest athlete in either boat, she’s reading planning, Growth and Regeneration at Queens’ College.
Verdict: In most years having a World Champion in your boat would definitely give you the advantage, but when you’re up against an Olympic champion and the no.1 ranked rower in the world it’s a different matter. Advantage Cambridge.
Stroke
Oxford
Name: Annie Anezakis
Nationality: Australian
Age: 23
The 2nd Princeton graduate in the Oxford boat. Anezakis was a member of the Princeton Lightweight varsity crew that won Eastern Sprints and finished 2nd at the IRA Championships in 2019. She also has a number of Australian national age-group titles to her credit.
Cambridge
Name: Imogen Grant
Nationality: British
Age: 26
The 3rd Olympian in the Light Blue boat. She learnt to row at Cambridge and within 3 years had made her U23 International debut finishing 5th in the BLW4X. She made her senior debut the year after winning a world Championship bronze in the LW1X (having won the U23 title earlier in the year). She moved into the LW2X in 2019 winning a World Championship bronze medal. In 2021 she and partner Emily Craig, won European silver and in Tokyo the double missed out on a medal by 1/100th of a second. At the GB trials last month, she won the LW1X by over 20 seconds. She was a member of the victorious Blue Boats in 2017and 2018.
Verdict: With her wealth of Boat Race and Olympic experience this has to be a clear advantage to the Light Blues.
Cox
Oxford
Name: Joe Gellett
Nationality: British
Age: 21
The youngest member of the Oxford boat, Gellett leant to cox at Hampton School and was a regular competitor at events on the Tideway course. He also coxed the Hampton school J16 8 to gold at the National Schools Regatta.
Cambridge
Name: Jasper Parish
Nationality: British
Age: 18
The youngest competitor in any of the four Blue Boats, parish is no stranger to the Tideway having spent his school days coxing for St Paul’s School. That experience will be vital on race day, but it’s also an awesome responsibility for the 18-year-old.
Verdict: two young and relatively inexperienced coxes, despite his youth the Tideway experience of Parish should just give the Light Blues the edge in the critical coxswain’s seat.
Final Prediction
So those are the women’s crews, in a seat-by-seat comparison I have Oxford ahead by 5 seats to 4, however as a crew Cambridge look the stronger, especially with their three Olympians onboard. I’m going for a Cambridge win with a margin of at least 3 lengths.
About The Author
