This Sunday, the regatta course will see a much smaller, but no less fierce, battle unfold in the Lightweight Women’s Coxless Fours. With just five entries, the event will be a straight final, meaning there’s nowhere to hide and no second chances. In a boat class where steering is as critical as strength, and where lightweight racing rewards technical skill and clinical precision, every decision and every stroke will matter.
University of Birmingham
The Birmingham crew will need to find a serious gear shift if they want to stay competitive. At BUCS Head earlier this year, they finished over five minutes behind the eventual winners, Newcastle, in the Women’s Championship Lightweight Four, a stark margin that leaves no illusions about the work needed to close in. However, results from early spring often don’t tell the full story. With two months of training under their belts and a straight 2km stretch ahead, Birmingham will be hoping to showcase clear progress. If they can stay composed and aggressive from the start, they could find themselves firmly in the hunt to stay attached to the leading pack.
Cambridge University
Cambridge arrive with serious momentum behind them after a dominant showing at the Lightweight Boat Races earlier this year. Their technical polish and ability to stay composed under pressure should serve them well in the coxless four, where clean steering and strong rhythm are non-negotiable. While their recent victories have mostly come in eights, if they can successfully transfer that form into a four, they’ll be right in the mix for gold on Sunday.
Newcastle University
Newcastle come in with an impressive resume: winners of the Women’s Championship Lightweight Four at BUCS Head by a commanding margin of over 30 seconds on home water. Moreover, many of their lightweight athletes also put in strong performances at the Women’s Eights Head of the River, showing they possess not only precise skill but real raw power. While Cambridge were absent from their winning BUCS Head performance, Newcastle’s commanding form at that event suggests they’ll be right at the sharp end of the racing. If they can translate that home-water advantage to a neutral venue, they’ll be tough to beat on Sunday.
Nottingham University
Nottingham will be the ones to enjoy the home advantage on Sunday and have shown they can mix it with the best, having finished second behind Newcastle at BUCS Head. Familiarity with the course and the boost of local support could be just what they need to bridge the gap, and maybe even cause an upset at the top.
Queen’s University Belfast
Travelling the furthest of all the crews all the way from Belfast, Queen’s could be a dark horse on Sunday. Part of their crew is returning after winning the Intermediate Lightweight Quad last year, and that racing experience could prove crucial in a straight final where nothing is guaranteed and nerves are running at an all-time high. They finished third at BUCS Head, but don’t count them out for chasing the gold. Nothing fuels racing fire quite like a long journey building up the pressure to deliver.
Prediction
With Cambridge’s lightweight pedigree, they look like the smart pick to claim victory if they can successfully transition their dominance from eights on the Thames into a coxless four on a lane course. However, I suspect Newcastle won’t make it easy for them, especially given their commanding BUCS Head performance in February. Nottingham, with their home advantage, and Queen’s, with their experience, could also spring a surprise. One thing’s for sure: in a lightweight coxless four, one steering slip could be the difference between gold and last place, making this final one to watch on Sunday.
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