Overall: 98-77 to O*ford
Women: 46-41 to O*ford
Men: 52-35 to O*ford
Blues Varsity did not disappoint this year.
Backed by a huge home crowd, we put in a valiant performance against what remains an exceptionally strong Oxford side. However, this was a far cry from the heavy defeat we suffered last year. With numerous swimmers winning individual events – a testament to our strong recruitment this season – almost every point was fiercely contested.
Although Oxford’s strength in depth became apparent towards the end – as they rolled out a fresh wave of aquatic monsters for the relays – the overall result was significantly closer than last year. Oxford narrowly edged out our women’s team, with the men not far behind.
As Blues captains, we are incredibly proud of the team’s performance. We truly did ourselves – and the year’s worth of training – justice. We’re also thrilled to announce that five new full Blues have been awarded.
Looking ahead: many of Oxford’s top swimmers – albeit slightly aged – will be graduating, which will leave their team considerably weakened. With the standout performances from our freshers this year – including the women’s medley relay team who obliterated the club record by three seconds – and strong recruitment on the horizon, we can be fairly confident of one thing: next year, we’ll finally take Oxford down.
Rebecca Keetley and Guy Semple, Blues Swimming Captains 24/25
