“This is the first time Cambridge women sent student eights to the race in recent history, it was exciting to compete against top international crews”

A student from St John’s joined two alumni – including an Olympian – to race in one of the biggest events in the global rowing, The Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR) in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Gemma King, a former St John’s undergraduate and now PhD student in stem cell biology, and alumni Guy Pooley and Kirsten Van Fossen competed for Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) at the event. The St John’s trio all rowed with the College’s Lady Margaret Boat Club while at Cambridge. 

Held between 18-20 October on the Charles River, CUBC won four golds and a silver at the three-mile event, which is the world’s largest long-distance rowing regatta.  

Gemma is a member of the student CUBC ‘A’ crew who competed in the Women’s Championship Eights at the HOCR. The Cambridge women put in an impressive performance, beating many top Division I American programmes, and the Oxford ‘A’ boat by 30 seconds, to finish in seventh place. 

“This is the first time Cambridge women sent student eights to the race in recent history and it was a very exciting opportunity to compete against several top international crews,” said Gemma, who is a Boat Race athlete. 

Two-times Olympian Guy Pooley (1987, Organic Chemistry PhD) took Silver in the Men’s Senior Master Doubles (50+) with David Gillard (1990, St Catharine’s). The duo finished in a time of 17:40.345, just behind winners Antares Remo of Mexico City. 

Guy represented Great Britain in rowing in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games in Barcelona and Atlanta. While at St John’s he rowed in the Men’s Blue Boat in The Boat Race four times, from 1988 to 1991. 

Kirsten Van Fossen (2014, Engineering PhD) rowed with the Women’s Alumnae Eights at the HOCR, finishing ninth out of 52 crews. Kirsten was in the Cambridge women’s lightweight eight in 2015 and in Blondie in the 2017 Boat Races. While at St John’s that year, she won the prestigious Parmigiani Spirit Award from the World Rowing Foundation and Parmigiani Fleurier in recognition of her sporting achievements and inspirational success. 

Gemma’s HOCR crew of current Cambridge students included four women who had rowed at US universities Princeton, Yale, Rutgers and Penn and had raced at the regatta in previous years.  

“Their experience was invaluable for approaching the race,” said Gemma. “Setting off at bow four behind the Ukrainian team, we had a solid start, slowly gaining on the boat in front of us throughout the first 3.5km of the race. After several calls to the crew ahead to clear the racing line, the Ukrainians conceded, allowing us to pass them on the inside of the long Eliot bend. 

“After taking an excellent line down the course and ending the race with a strong build into the finish, the crew finished in seventh place. While highlighting key areas to work on over the upcoming months, this was a very exciting start to the season.” 

Find out all the results on the CUBC website 

Published: 25/10/2024

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