The 2022 Boat Race

[fatsculler]

The 2022 Boat Race left old like it could be a classic. Lots of Olympians and senior internationals have gone up to Oxbridge this year.
Oxford we’re the first to show their hand with a dominant performance at the Upper Thames Autumn Head. Their top 4+ finished 2nd overall only being beaten by the Oxford 8(racing in a different division). The crew was:
David Ambler GB, ex-Harvard and U23 World Champion. Won silver in the M4- at at Sabaudia World Cup)
Barnabe Delarze (Swiss, finished 5th in the M2X in Tokyo)
Liam Corrigan (US, was in the M8 in Tokyo)
Charlie Elwes (GB, ex-Yale, bronze in the M8 in Tokyo).

[fatsculler]

Looks like we won’t get the early season showdown (at least for the men) that we usually get at the Fours Head. The Oxford men missed the entry deadline! Instead it’ll be Cambridge v Brookes v Leander. Both the Oxford and Cambridge woman’s squad will be racing though.

[FullSend]

That's a pretty loaded 4+, looks like their 2nd 4 was right there as well. Any word on what the other lineups were?

I won't claim to have encyclopedic knowledge of Boat Race lineups, but that top 4 as the foundation of an 8+ should make for one of the best pedigree Oxbridge boats I can think of in awhile, maybe going back to the Hodge/Reed/Barney Williams boat in the mid 2000s?

[fatsculler]

Cambridge women look to have an incredibly strong line-up this season with Rio Olympians Imogen Grant, Grace Prendegast & Ruby Tew

[lt.wolf]

Oxford's squad is particularly strong:
Elwes (Yale, GB M8+)
Ambler (Harvard, U23 gold)
Corrigan (Harvard, US M8+)
Roman and Barnabe (both SWI 2x, Tokyo)
Jack Robertson (Cal, Australia)
Angus Groom (GB 4X (silver))
Barakso (Princeton, Canada, Oxford)
Schroeder (Oxford, U23 gold)


Cambridge aren't too shabby either:
Ollie W-G (Yale, GB M8+)
Tom George (Princeton, GB M8+)
George Finlayson (Cal, Australia)
Simon Schurch (SWI, LM4- Rio Gold)
Jamie Hunter (NZ, 2017 2- bronze)

[fatsculler]

Trial 8's are taking place over the next couple of days (for the men's boats at any rate, the women's trial races have been postponed).
The talent in both the Light and Dark Blue camps are, frankly ridiculous. They have the talent to produce possibly the best crews we've ever seen in the event.

Trial 8 crews

Oxford
"Gondor"
Bow Chris Hull (USA) Stanford graduate
2 James Forward (GBR) European U23 gold medalist
3 Henry Pearson (GBR) Junior world bronze
4 Martin Barasko (CAN) Princeton, M8 2019 World Championships
5 Barnabe Delarze (SUI) M2X Tokyo
6 Dave Ambler (GBR) Harvard, U23 World champion, winner of The Grand and Stewards at HRR
7 Liam Corrigan (USA) harvard, 4th M8 Tokyo
Stroke: Tassilo Von Mueller (GER) U23 bronze
cox: Oliver Perry (GBR) Blue Boat 2020, isis 2021

"Rohan"
Bow: Chis Rimmer (GBR) Isis 2021
2: Jan Stratmann (GER) Philips Academy
3: Roman Roeoesli (SUI) M2X Tokyo
4: Jack Robertson (AUS) Cal, King's Cup Australia
5: Augustin Wambersie (BEL) Princeton, Blue 2019, 2020, 2021
6: Tobias Schroeder (GBR) U23 World Champion, Blue 2019, 2020, 2021
7: Joshua Bowesman-Jones (GBR) U23 World Champion, Blue 2021
stroke: Charlie Elwes (GBR) Yale, Bronze M8 Tokyo
cox: Jack Tottem (GBR)

Also in the squad but not racing in the Trial 8's is Angus Groom (silver M4X Tokyo)

Cambridge
"Mr Sleepy"
Bow: Seb Benzecry (GBR) Princeton, Junior World Champion, Blue 2021
2: Peter Stevens (GBR) learnt to row at Cambridge
3: Reef Boericke (USA) Goldie 2021
4: Tom Lynch (CAN) UBC
5: George Finlayson (AUS) Cal
6: Cameron Spiers (GBR) Goldie 2021
7: Luca Ferraro (GBR) Spare pair 2021
Stroke: Tom George (GBR) Princeton, bronze M8 Tokyo
cox: Charlie Marcus (GBR) Blue 2021

"Burpees"
Bow: George Hawkswell (GBR) Learnt to row at Cambridge
2: Henry Evans (USA) Princeton (son and nephew of Cambridge Blues and 1984 Olympic Champions Mike and Mark Evans)
3: Tom Marsh (USA) Learnt to row at Cambridge
4: Hugo Durward (GBR) Goldie 2019, 2021
5: Ollie Wynne-Griffith (GBR) Yale, bronze M8 Tokyo
6: Simon Schuerch (SUI) LM4- Gold Rio
7: James Bernard (USA) Wisconsin, Goldie 2021, 4th U23 BM8 2017
Stroke: Ollie Parish (GBR) Junior World Champion, Blue 2021, son of former Blue and Olympic rower Matt)
cox: Oliver Boyne (GBR) Goldie 2021

Also in the squad but not racing Trial 8's is James Hunter (Rio Olympian),

[Almostflipped]

When you layout the pedigree and international medals like that, it's hard for me to see Oxford losing this year.

[KitD]

Minor point, but weren't the Evans twins Oxford people? Part of the Topolski/Rankov vintage.

Edit: also fair play to Cambridge getting 3 novices up to trials standard

[sandor]

Bow for "Gondor" Chris Hull - his father, Richard, rowed for Oxford in '87.


https://www.thurstontalk.com/2016/04/23 ... ia-rowing/

Richard rowed for the University of Oxford, helping the Dark Blues defeat Cambridge in The Boat Race in 1987 before going on to row for the Great Britain National Team.

“I actually didn’t know my dad even rowed until we moved up here (from Los Angeles) four years ago,” Chris said. “I didn’t find out until a year after when he started coaching (the Olympia Area Rowing team). I guess I kind of vaguely knew he had rowed, but not to that level.”

[fatsculler]

"Rohan" beat "Gondor" by about 3/4 of a length of clear water

[fatsculler]

“Burpees” beat “Mr Sleepy” by a couple of lengths of clear water

[fatsculler]

Must admit the Oxford boats looked sharper, the blade work in the losing Cambridge crew was distinctly ropey

B95652B5-17A6-45EC-A1DF-94E5809AD123.jpeg (445.63 KiB) Viewed 1103 times

[LoreMaster1]

That's bad, but the Gondorian 3-seat was also pretty rough during the back half of the course. Oxford did overall look smoother than in many recent years, though.

[fatsculler]

That's bad, but the Gondorian 3-seat was also pretty rough during the back half of the course. Oxford did overall look smoother than in many recent years, though.

It’s always the 3 seat

[KitD]

I may be wrong but I believe this Boat Race is the first proper test for the new Cambridge combined squads set-up. It'll be interesting to see what difference it makes, if any.