University Boat Race 2012 halted by swimmer

Oxford: The race was later restarted but one of the Oxford crew broke an oar, allowing Cambridge a comfortable win.

Organisers were initially forced to stop the 158th Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge to prevent Oxford's oars colliding with the swimmer near Hammersmith Bridge.

The two crews were halfway along the four-and-a-quarter mile course when Sir Matthew Pinsent, the former Olympic rower and one of the race officials, spotted the man, leading the umpire to stop the race.
Oxford had an advantage of around a quarter of a length when the race was brought to a standstill, after around eight minutes.

It is not the first time the Boat Race has been temporarily halted. In 2001 the race was stopped just over a minute after the start following repeated warnings to both crews to move apart and then a clash of blades.
Sir Matthew said the swimmer had risked a "serious injury".
"Fortunately we spotted him and stopped the race," he said, adding: "It's not ideal but we could we do? We could not possibly have carried on."


The swimmer was picked up by a lifeboat and led off Chiswick pier by police amid booing from the assembled crowd.One of Oxford's blades broke shortly after the race had resumed and the Cambridge crew rowed to victory.

There was more drama at the end of the race when Dr Alexander Woods, 27, an Oxford rower, collapsed and was lifted out of his seat by medics.

Scotland Yard said the swimmer had been arrested on suspicion of a committing public order offence and was being held at a west London police station.