By Bond Robertson 
Every year since 1856, the British universities of Cambridge and Oxford have competed over the River Thames in London.
This year, the Cambridge eight won the three-and-a-half boat distance, but this year's edition received extra attention for something the organizer probably didn't want to pay attention to.
Some of the headlines before and after the competition were about poo.
Before the race, the organizer came out and warned athletes not to jump into the water because large amounts of E.coli bacteria had been discovered in the riverbed, he wrote. independent.
In central London: Cambridge in action. Photo: Reuters/NTB
Show more
Many fell ill
The water certainly caused problems for Oxford during the build-up, says Leonard Jenkins of Oxford's losing eighth team BBC After the competition.
-We had two people who were severely affected by E. coli. “I threw up this morning, and I wasn't sure if I could be on the boat,” Jenkins says.
At the same time, he does not want to take away from Cambridge's impressive victory, but still points to dirty water as a problem.
– It would have been much better if there wasn't so much feces in the water. This is not to detract from Cambridge, because it is not certain that we would have beaten them even if we had been at our best.
Disappointed: The Oxford men's team had to see themselves defeated. Photo: AP/NTB
Show more
The regulator is investigating
However, his colleague Will Denegri was a bit skeptical about blaming the water in the Thames, but admitted there was a problem.
This week we received three people who had to miss sessions because they were suffering from stomach problems. I don't know if it has anything to do with the E. coli in the river. That's no excuse, but it certainly didn't help us in our preparations.
Contest organizers said in a statement that they were aware of Jenkins' comments, but did not wish to speculate.
– We are not in a position to speculate on the causes of the illness, but we have contacted the Oxford University Boating Club for further clarification, they write according to Sky News.
Gromsett: The Cambridge women's team is in action on Saturday. Photo: Reuters/NTB
Show more
The Oxford coach was furious
The water received a lot of attention even before the weekend when an investigation by action group River Action showed a worrying rise in levels of E. coli in the river, according to the British Daily Mail. clouds.
Group leader James Wallace describes the whole thing as a “tragic situation” and blames the water company Thames Water. He says their tests show the contamination comes from the company releasing wastewater directly into the river.
Oxford coach Sean Bowden was clear about his thoughts on the situation earlier this week.
– It is a national disgrace. It would be great if the regatta highlighted it. “We are very keen to play a role and realize we have a role and a responsibility,” he told the Daily Telegraph.
Thames Water says in a statement to Sky that there has been an unusually high amount of rainfall over a long period and that this is impacting where sewage ends up.