LONDON: An Australian man "protesting about elitism" who brought chaos to this year's Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge universities could have been killed by an oar, his trial heard on Monday.
Trenton Oldfield, 36, brought the annual contest held in April to a standstill when he dived into London's River Thames and swam between the boats.
It was the first time in the 158-year history of the race that it was disrupted by a bather.
Oldfield however denies causing a public nuisance.
Opening the case at London's Isleworth Crown Court, prosecutor Louis Mably said Oldfield had ruined the race for hundreds of thousands of spectators watching from the banks of the river and on TV, and for the two teams.
Mably said the two eight-man teams were just "settling into the rhythm and the race was developing into what was a close and exciting contest" when a wetsuit-clad Oldfield took to the water from a river bank.
He added: "By this time both crews were rowing flat out and were neck and neck.
"The race came to an unexpected and sudden halt, all in front of the tens of thousands of people at the side of the river who wanted to watch the race."
Oldfield swam into the paths of the two boats as they neared Chiswick Eyot in west London.
Mably said Oldfield put himself in danger as he narrowly avoided being hit by the blade of an Oxford oar.
"One does not need to imagine too much the damage that would have been caused to him if his head had been struck by an oar that was coming through the water at full force," the lawyer said.
He said race umpire John Garrett spotted Oldfield and halted the race.
"What Mr Oldfield had done was in effect to force someone else to take responsibility to stop him from serious injury.
"Of course, ordering the race to stop, bringing it to a halt in front of the tens and thousands of people who were watching at the river and on the television, it is not something that a race official is going to do lightly as obviously it spoils the race for everyone -- the crews and the spectators.
"One person decided for his own reasons to disrupt a national sporting event and in the process the enjoyment of the spectating public."
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