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Harvard’s men’s lightweight crew team had reached the last race of the season, and they were neck and neck with Oxford Brookes — a heavyweight team.
For the first 500 meters, the boats were side by side, a thrilling start to the final race of the tournament. But then, midway through the course, something incredible happened: Harvard surged ahead and gained a full boat length lead.
Against the cheers of spectators rooting for the home team along the Thames, Harvard made history — taking home its first ever Henley-on-Thames Temple Cup.
The finals race caps off the Crimson’s undefeated season, with five consecutive wins during the regatta to take home the championship.
Harvard’s win broke a decade-long precedent of heavyweight wins at Henley. The regatta is open-weight, resulting in heavyweight and lightweight teams racing against one another. The course on the Thames has a constant headwind that typically favors heavier teams, and a lightweight crew has only won the tournament three times, most recently in 2009.
Facing Oxford Brookes was a chance of redemption for the crew — the team fell short of competing for the championship at last year’s Henley after losing to Oxford Brookes in the semi-finals.
For junior bow seat Kyle Sutherland, the mentality going into this season was essential for the team’s success.
“Even on the start line on Sunday at Henley, we had doubts about whether we would be able to beat Oxford Brookes, who we had lost to last year,” Sutherland wrote. “I think having that mentality all year is a big reason why we were able to succeed. We never took any opponent for granted, and never believed that we were better than any race.”
Sutherland also cited the team’s drive as a major reason for their success. Coming off a national championship victory in June, the team got straight back to work, just two days later.
“I think what drives people to make sacrifices like that is the pursuit of doing something that had never been done before by a Harvard lightweight team, and that spirit showed on Sunday when everyone, especially the 3 freshmen in our varsity, really rose to the occasion and met the challenge with composure,” Sutherland wrote.
Sutherland wrote that before the tournament, people denounced the Harvard Lights as “delusional” for setting their sights on the Temple Cup. Though he claimed that this year’s team was “likely the greatest team that Harvard Lights has ever had.”
Along with a dedicated roster of athletes, the team also has a large set of supporters, another key component of the decorated season. The race saw alumni and teammates alike gathering to support the Crimson, just as they did a year prior.
This support is what makes Sutherland proud to represent Crimson, especially on international stages.
“The level of support we have speaks to the impact that the team has on its athletes while they are at Harvard, and makes all of us proud to wear the H on the race course,” Sutherland wrote.
While this was a first-of-its-kind victory for the crew, the team hopes that this momentous event will not be the last, but rather serve as an inspiration for years to come.
“So I hope this crew lives on as an inspiration for years of athletes and instills in them a belief that every year can be one like ours if people are willing to make sacrifices, work hard and believe in their goals,” Sutherland wrote.
—Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at shawn.boehmer@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.
—Staff writer Caroline G. Hennigan can be reached at caroline.hennigan@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @cghennigan.
