[fullmetal]

The protester has a doctorate from the London School of Economics and is currently studying "the socio-political history of fenced green spaces in London for a forthcoming book."  As far as I can tell, he's an academic of some sort.  I refuse to give this guy any more attention than he already has been given.  I can't believe he was smiling the whole time in view of the press.  Not a laughing matter.

Also, for those of you interested, you can see the replay of the race here on ESPN3: http://espn.go.com/espn3/player?id=458205

The Oxford cox protested the oar breakage on the grounds that most races allow for a 100m breakage zone in which any misadventure may be allowed a restart, and the oar broke pretty much at the start of the race.  You can hear the Oxford cox and stroke explaining this after the race's end in the broadcast.  The umpire holds up the white flag in response, indicating that the race is concluded in a fair manner without valid protest (would have been a red flag with a valid protest).  The clapping from the Oxford stroke in response to the flag is a sarcastic golf clap.  Not the umpire's best decision-making that day.  I would have sympathized if the restart had been fair, but it wasn't, and that killed whatever fairness was possible after the swimmer.

[fullmetal]

The protester has a doctorate from the London School of Economics and is currently studying "the socio-political history of fenced green spaces in London for a forthcoming book."  As far as I can tell, he's an academic of some sort.  I refuse to give this guy any more attention than he already has been given.  I can't believe he was smiling the whole time in view of the press.  Not a laughing matter.

Also, for those of you interested, you can see the replay of the race here on ESPN3: http://espn.go.com/espn3/player?id=458205

The Oxford cox protested the oar breakage on the grounds that most races allow for a 100m breakage zone in which any misadventure may be allowed a restart, and the oar broke pretty much at the start of the race.  You can hear the Oxford cox and stroke explaining this after the race's end in the broadcast.  The umpire holds up the white flag in response, indicating that the race is concluded in a fair manner without valid protest (would have been a red flag with a valid protest).  The clapping from the Oxford stroke in response to the flag is a sarcastic golf clap.  Not the umpire's best decision-making that day.  I would have sympathized if the restart had been fair, but it wasn't, and that killed whatever fairness was possible after the swimmer.