The Boat Race 2005

First held in 1829, the competition is a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) race along The Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London.

[12] Oxford's Olympians included Britons Andy Triggs Hodge and Robin Bourne-Taylor, and Canadian Barney Williams, all of whom competed in Athens.

[12] According to the BBC, the former Oxford coach Dan Topolski rated both crews as good enough to make an Olympic final.

[13] Cambridge won the coin toss and elected to start from the northern bank (the "Middlesex side") of the Thames.

[14] Taking a clear-water advantage before reaching Barnes Bridge, Oxford passed the finishing post two lengths ahead, with a time of 16 minutes, 41 seconds.

[4] At the finish, following tradition, the Oxford crew threw their cox, Nethercott, into the water in celebration.

[16] The departing Cambridge coach Robin Williams said of his crew "They fought like tigers and should be proud of themselves".