Olympians in town for Boat Race dinner

Great British Olympians and Oxbridge rowers came together on Thursday night as a galaxy of stars turned out at the 2013 Boat Race Gala Dinner.

Former Cambridge students, including two time gold-medallist Tom James and London 2012 gold medal winner Anna Watkins, turned out for the annual red-carpet celebration of university rowing as the Oxford and Cambridge crews faced off ahead of next weekend’s all-important Boat Race.

The event, which took place at the glitzy London Film Museum on the Southbank of the Thames, was hosted by rowing legend (and former Oxfordian) Sir Matthew Pinsent, who claimed gold medals at four consecutive Olympic games between 1992 and 2004.

Matthew Pinsent was one of several big names in attendance

The big-name attendees did not end there, though, with rowing stars from around the globe – double Olympic Gold-winning American Caryn Davies and Australian Olympic Gold medallist Kate Allen – also taking their seats at the dinner.

The evening was also aiming to raise awareness and vital money for the Boat Race’s official charity, The Prince’s Trust, which helps disadvantaged young people turn their lives around.

The star-studded dinner proved a huge success, raising close to £10,000 for the Trust, with a silent auction and a text-to-donate campaign bringing in much of the cash.

The 2013 BNY Mellon Boat Race takes place this weekend, and officials will be hoping the event runs smoother than last year, when anti-elitism campaigner Trenton Oldfield donned his wetsuit and swam into the path of the Oxford crew during the course.

Chief umpire John Garrett raised his red flag to halt the race, with Oldfield swimming perilously close to the Oxford oars.

Oldfield’s punishment saw him spent six months behind bars

Oldfield was jailed for six months in October for the public order offence.

When it eventually restarted, the race became meaningless as Oxford suffered a broken oar, handing Cambridge an 81st victory in the 158th edition of the race.

The 2013 Boat Race take place on Sunday March 31 at 4.30pm.