The Boat Race tradition of throwing winning coxes into the Thames will not be blocked by organisers on Sunday after encouraging late water tests.
Dry weather in recent weeks and a new “super sewer” have improved readings from last year, when event officials explicitly advised rowers against diving into the river.
This time, Oxford and Cambridge crews are being privately encouraged to make up their own minds as an inevitable row brews around sickness risks.
Campaign group River Action, which started testing for the E. coli in the Thames on March 10, maintains 29.