Age is no limit: James Cracknell makes Boat Race history aged 46
● Ex-olympian helps Cambridge beat Oxford at the ripe old age of 46
Former Olympic rower James Cracknell showed his delight after becoming the oldest winner of the Boat Race after the 46-year-old’s Cambridge team defeated Oxford in the famous contest.
Former Olympic rower James Cracknell has become the oldest ever Boat Race winner after the 46-year-old’s Cambridge team defeated Oxford in the famous contest.
The gold medallist and sixtime world champion powered to victory with the Light Blues in a feat dubbed “off the scale” by his former Great Britain colleague Matthew Pinsent.
Eight years older than the previous record-holder, Cambridge’s 1992 cox Andy Probert, Cracknell suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2010 after fracturing his skull in a bike accident.
But after last week confirming the end of his marriage to Beverley Turner, the Peterhouse College masters student pulled off an extraordinary personal achievement.
Cracknell conceded more than 25 years on some of his team-mates, but belied his age to leave friends and former colleagues in awe.
“This is the start of another chapter in his life,” friend and broadcaster Ben Fogle told the BBC.
“I think James wants this to be his flag, he wants this to be the moment that people say ‘James aged 46 did something most people doubted’.”
Cracknell’s fellow former Olympian Pinsent added: “It’s extraordinary that he’s got himself into the shape, at 46, of a 24-year-old. I only know one person who could do that, and it’s James. It’s just off the scale.”
Cracknell’s life was turned upside down when he fractured his skull in a cycling accident in Arizona nine years ago but he battled back to top form and fitness.
“On the start I thought ‘I’ve missed this’,” Cracknell said after his victory.
“The first few minutes were great, but they just didn’t drop. To be honest the endurance wasn’t a problem.
“If I had any doubt it would have been my sprinting. I just made sure I stuck it in and hopefully we had enough in the bank.”
Cambridge also won the Women’s Boat Race for the third year in a row, beating Oxford by five lengths.
The Light Blues cemented their dominance over their traditional rivals, with new coach Robert Weber’s team storming into an early lead and refusing to relent. Cambridge stroke Lily Lindsay has rowed internationally for the US, but insisted nothing compared to a Boat Race victory.
James Cracknell anticipates a heavy bump back down to “real life” after becoming the oldest Boat Race winner at 46.
The double Olympic gold medal winner powered Cambridge to a third win in four years in the 165th Boat Race, then conceded the void that follows will prove “empty”.
Cracknell suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2010 when fracturing his skull in a cycling accident in Arizona only to battle back to full health, while just last week he confirmed the end of his marriage to Beverley Turner.
Cracknell’s former Olympics crew mate Matthew Pinsent believes no one will match this feat, though warned his old friend to beware the nagging question of what comes next.
“This last two weeks has been something I’ve had to focus on,” said Cracknell. “Tomorrow’s going to be hard, it’s going to be empty. And that’s when real life starts.”
Eight years older than the previous record holder, Cambridge’s 1992 cox Andy Probert, Cracknell produced a stunning feat that Pinsent believes will remain forever unmatched.
“This defies explanation, it is an outstanding achievement,” said Pinsent. “No one will ever do that again. In that hospital in Phoenix, if you’d said he would win the Boat Race, at that point he was doing well to walk again.
“So what is there to do? And that will be a big question for him. Tomorrow morning, for every Boat Race competitor, the Monday morning is a real clunk.
“Everyone who competes in this thinks: ‘now that’s out of the way, what am I going to do now?’ And that will be many times over for James.” Cambridge won the Women’s Boat Race for the third year in a row, beating Oxford by five lengths. The Light Blues cemented their dominance over their traditional rivals, new coach Robert Weber’s team storming into an early lead and refusing to relent.