Commemorative oar on display at St Antony’s
St Antony’s is delighted to display a sweep oar presented to local rower Sholto Carnegie following his gold medal win with the Great Britain men’s eight at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The oar is on loan and is displayed in the Erg Room, so it will play a part in daily life for St Antony’s rowers.
Awarded in recognition of the highest level of international competition, the oar represents Carnegie’s years of sustained training, preparation, and discipline. Its presence in College highlights not only performance at the highest level, but the resilience that makes it possible. As Carnegie reflects in his writing, the path to and from the Olympic Games is rarely straightforward:
‘[After the huge disappointment of coming fourth in the Tokyo Olympics when we were joint-favourites to win], I remember thinking I’d do anything to have that pre-race opportunity back, to rewind time and fight for an Olympic medal. I couldn’t rewind time but three years later I was approaching my second Olympics in Paris, ready to embrace the pressure of an Olympic final once again…I was determined to rise to the occasion and race my best ever race.’
The oar represents more than a single race or result. It represents the mental clarity and focus needed alongside true dedication and consistency to achieve in the face of pressure and uncertainty.
Current St Antony’s Boat Club Captain Jonathon Anstee said:
‘The opportunity to host Sholto’s Olympic oar is a real honour for the boat club. I hope that the oar can act as a source of inspiration on and off the water. We look forward to being able to show the oar to our alumni community at the upcoming Summer VIIIs dinner on the 30th May’
You can read more from Sholto in his articles for Row360:
