Boat Race swimmer slams elitism (From Oxford Mail)
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Boat Race swimmer slams elitism
7:55pm Sunday 8th April 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013
Trenton Oldfield was pulled from the River Thames after he temporarily halted the 158th Boat Race
The swimmer arrested after bringing the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race to a dramatic halt has defended his anti-elitist stance.
Trenton Oldfield said he had been privately-educated for four years but left and went to a state school because he "couldn't stand the elitism".
The annual contest on Saturday was dubbed "possibly the most dramatic Boat Race in history" after the wet suit-clad swimmer was spotted in the vessels' path and the competition had to be restarted almost half an hour later.
Oldfield, who lives in a run-down block of flats in Myrdle Street, east London, has been charged with a public order offence and released on bail.
The 35-year-old posted a series of messages on Twitter today, saying: "With the severe deficit in democracy new sites of protest unfortunately have had to be found" and "if its jail time, so be it".
He added: "Still waiting for someone to show me when elitism (seeing oneself above another) hasn't lead to oppression and tyranny?"
The drama of Saturday's race continued when the blade of an Oxford oar broke and the crew's bowman Alex Woods collapsed at the end and was taken to hospital. Crew member Roel Haen said Dr Woods had now been released from hospital.
He wrote on Twitter: "Our bow-man and hero Alex Woods was released from the hospital this morning and is doing well."
Oldfield, an Australian who studied contemporary urbanism at the London School of Economics and says he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, has a website called Elitism Leads to Tyranny. He replied to a barrage of messages from both supporters and detractors.
Oldfield will appear at Feltham Magistrates' Court on April 23 charged with a Section Five offence under the Public Order Act, said Scotland Yard.
Comments(3)
Roy Stockdill
says...
9:36pm Sun 8 Apr 12
Such naivety defies belief. I hope the magistrates commit him for a medical examination.
Good call
says...
9:45pm Sun 8 Apr 12
Roy Stockdill wrote:Ah yes everything Is ok isn't it.There is no poverty in Britain,is there its just lazy scroungers who aren't aspirational enough.There is an elite is this country and it is a bunch of control freak greedy gits who like ripping joe public off and enslaving them.Yet no one seems to want to do anything
As I understand it, this nutter was protesting against elitism and the idea of there being winners and losers. Presumably he would prefer that all football games end in a 1-1 draw and all 35,000 runners in the London Marathon should cross the line together?
Such naivety defies belief. I hope the magistrates commit him for a medical examination.
Roy Stockdill
says...
9:06am Mon 9 Apr 12
Not everyone can be a fantastic marathon runner like Paula Radcliffe or a fantastic cyclist like Victoria Pendleton and Chris Hoy. However, being born with talent is not sufficient. What people like those I've just mentioned have in common is that they worked incredibly hard, trained in all weathers and against adversity, and showed supreme discipline and dedication in their desire to be champions, gold medallists and WINNERS. Although I have no great personal interest in the Boat Race, I do feel sorry for the Oxford crew who had many months of training, deprivation and dedication ruined by one self-righteous idiot.
Yes, the world is unfair. Better get used to it instead of whining enviously and piteously.
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