Cambridge rower Matt Edge collapses after Boat Race victory in scary moment

The light blue stroke put in an incredible effort to upset Oxford in the men’s race

(Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

Cambridge stroke Matt Edge collapsed in exhaustion at the end of the 2024 Boat Race after a gruelling victory over rivals Oxford.

The scary closing stages of the iconic race on the River Thames came after Edge’s huge effort to help Cambridge secure an early lead.

The smooth rhythm of Cambridge proved too much for Oxford, even when Edge was seen barely putting his blade into the water in the final stages.

Edge’s shoulders and head collapsed, but his teammates carried him through the finish line, prompting him to slump back into his teammate’s lap.

Bow and president Sebastien Benzecry paid tribute to Edge: “Credit to Matt, to go that deep, a lot of that margin was down to him.

“He was putting down a dynamic rhythm, it takes a lot out of you in the stroke seat. So proud of him, an amazing race.”

BBC Sport confirmed Edge had made a full recovery in the moments after the race.

While pundit and former Cambridge rower Imogen Grant said: “That was scary stuff to see, just so spent going over the line. They said, ‘loose, sit up, breathe’.

“Everybody said Oxford was the favourites, but Rob Baker has done a fantastic job with crews. I don’t think I’ve seen a winning crew look that spent at the finish line.”