Rowing legend Sir Matthew Pinsent says it is vital that crowds can get close to Sunday’s Boat Race, despite the dramatic stoppage last year when a protestor swam into the middle of the race.
About 250,000 people are expected to line the course on the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake.
Pinsent, who makes his debut as Boat Race umpire, was the assistant umpire last year.
He spotted protestor Trenton Oldfield in the middle of the Thames and was the man who pulled Oldfield out of the water, after he narrowly escaped being hit on the head by an oar.
“As much as I disagree with the cause and the manner of the protest last year, I still want to be part of a society that allows the idea of a protest,” said Pinsent, who competed for Oxford three times in the 1990s and went on to win four Olympic titles.
“I wouldn’t want to be part of a Boat Race where it was impossible for someone to get access to the river.
“I’ve been involved in sports events, in Beijing and in Delhi at the Commonwealth Games, where they barracaded events off to keep people back. We would never consider doing that and it’s a good thing we don’t.”
Pinsent, who lives in Chiswick, added: “One of the joys of the Boat Race is that this bit of the river is packed and every time you go under a bridge it’s chock-full of people, all the pubs are over-flowing, it’s 10-deep [on the banks], it’s free and it’s open.
“If we stepped back from that it would be to the Boat Race’s detriment.”
The 31-minute interruption by Oldfield was the first of three major incidents in last year’s drama-packed race.
After the re-start the crews clashed and Oxford broke an oar. Shortly after Cambridge cruised to victory, Oxford crew member Alex Woods collapsed and had to be rescued from the boat.
Pinsent admitted: “Out of all the rowing races I’ve been involved in, this is the most complicated, the most unpredictable.
“The variables involved in who wins, who loses, who goes where and what happens, you can’t cover them all.”
Among extra security measures this year, a detachment of Royal Marines will be at the course. Officials have also decided that any restart will be done immediately, rather than enduring another long delay.
The Oxford crew [pictured above] are favourites to regain their title this year, in the 159th running of the event, although their coach Sean Bowden insisted revenge did not play a part in motivation for this season.
Olympic bronze medallist Constantine Louloudis, who grew up in Maida Vale, and Twickenham’s Karl Hudspith, are two of the three Boat Race veterans for Oxford.
Cambridge have local experience in cox Henry Fieldman, who learnt to row at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith then studied at Imperial College, whose boathouse is in Putney.
“Any experience is going to help but it’s how you use it so I’d like to think I’ve kept learning right up until the very last day,” said Fieldman, 24, who highlighted the difference between the Boat Race and most other rowing events.
“You’re trying to steer a line which is kind of invisible. You’re trying to do that alongside another crew and jostle for position on the river, which can change depending on where you are.
“You’ve got stream, wind and bends. There’s a lot of challenges but it’s good fun.”
Follow Martin Gough’s live text commentary on the Boat Race website from 14:30 BST on Sunday. The BNY Mellon Boat Race starts at 16:30.
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This post was last modified on 30/03/2013