British authorities warned this week about a fecal bacteria in the River Thames. The amount of E.coli in the water is ten times higher than the maximum permitted amount.
Competition this weekend
The news comes at an awkward time for Oxford and Cambridge, two universities that have hosted an annual rowing competition in the river for centuries. The competition will take place this weekend and according to the organizers, 250,000 spectators are expected. Millions of Brits are watching the match on TV.
Oxford University rowing coach Sean Bowden has called the situation ‘a national disgrace’ to British media. “We don’t want people to get sick,” he says. The authorities have not only called on people not to enter the water, but also for rowers with open wounds to be careful of the water.
The winning team traditionally throws the helmsman and mate into the water, but this is not allowed according to the health warning. Yet Bowden does not rule out that it will happen. “Ten seconds in the water is a small risk, isn’t it?” he told The Guardian.
Since 1829
The rowing coach hopes that the rowing competition will help draw attention to the poor water quality in England. “We hope we can help change this.”
The rowing race between Oxford and Cambridge was first organized in 1829. It has been an annual competition since 1856. Female rowers first competed in 1927, but an annual competition for women has only taken place since the 1960s.
Tags: Dont water Oxford rowing competition struggles poop bacteria RTL News
