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This is how Cambridge rowers celebrated their victory last year. Things could look different in this year's edition

Photo: Katie Chan / Action Plus / IMAGO

For almost 200 years, the rowing teams from the English universities of Oxford and Cambridge have competed against each other once a year. The Thames races typically attract 270,000 spectators along the 6.8 kilometer route. And an integral part of the spectacle has always been that the winning team jumps into the water or throws its helmsman into the Thames. But that could end this year because a health warning is causing concern.

Tests have found high levels of E. coli bacteria in a section of the River Thames in south-west London where the race is due to take place on Saturday. This was announced by the River Action initiative, which, according to its own statements, “has made it its mission to save Great Britain’s rivers from a cocktail of agricultural, sewage and industrial pollution.”

E. coli bacteria normally live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. Most strains do not cause disease. But there are also strains of bacteria of which a small amount - such as a sip of contaminated water - is enough to cause illness. Typical clinical pictures include urinary tract infections, bladder infections, intestinal infections and vomiting. In the worst cases, life-threatening blood poisoning can occur.

The organizer reacts

The Cambridge and Oxford teams each received an information pack containing guidance published by, among others, River Action. It stresses the importance of covering cuts, abrasions and blisters with waterproof bandages. In addition, care should be taken not to swallow river water that splashes near the mouth, appropriate footwear should be worn when launching or retrieving a boat, and all equipment should be thoroughly cleaned.

In a statement to the Guardian, organizers said they supported the investigations carried out by River Action. They added that precautions for this year's race include "highlighting the risks of entering the water" and using a "cleaning station at the finish area."

River Action said it carried out 16 tests in the area of ​​Hammersmith Bridge on the River Thames between February 28 and March 26, using an E. coli analyzer verified by the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to River Action, the test results were well above the safe limit. However, the group did not specify which of the many E. coli strains it found.

"As a rower, the water I row on is my playing field, and the E. coli test results show that rowers are putting their health at risk to do the sport they love," Imogen Grant told the AP News Agency. Grant is a world rowing champion and won the Boat Race three times with Cambridge.

According to River Action, the monitoring sites indicate that the source of the pollution is the utility company Thames Water, which discharges wastewater directly into the river and its tributaries. Thames Water said improving the health of rivers was one of its key concerns and that it was working hard to reduce unnecessary discharges.

kjo/AP