NOS Sports•today, 11:05
The winners of the iconic Thames rowing race The Boat Race will think twice before throwing their coxswain into the water this year. The traditional victory splash is not recommended by the organization, because tests have shown that the river is heavily polluted.
The Boat Race, which will be held for the 169th time on Saturday, is between the best rowers from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The women’s race will be held for the 78th time.
The non-profit organization River Action, which is committed to cleaner rivers in the United Kingdom, commissioned research into the water quality of the Thames. The water turned out to contain too high a concentration of E. coli bacteria. This pathogenic bacteria, which comes from feces, flows into the river through the sewer during heavy rainfall.
This is how the coxswain of the winning team is normally thrown into the water:
Tradition after The Boat Race: throwing the helmsman into the water
The organization of the rowing competition was shocked by the results and sent the rowers a warning. Participants were advised not to jump into the water after the race, to cover wounds properly and to wash thoroughly after the race. The coach of the Oxford team called the polluted Thames a “national disgrace” to The Guardian.
Seine too dirty
A similar story is playing out in the run-up to next summer’s Olympic Games. World swimming association FINA believes the River Seine is too dirty to hold Olympic competitions in it.
In August, the test events in Paris for open water swimmers and triathletes were canceled for this reason. In February, new research showed that water quality still does not meet the European Union’s minimum requirements for safe bathing water.
For the time being, the Olympic committee remains committed to completing the competitions in the Seine.
