The Boat Race is a unique event. It pulls on the tribal instincts of human nature and the desire for belonging. Everyone picks a side. The millions who watch worldwide on TV will cheer on either the Cambridge light blues or dark-blue Oxford. With an annual spot in the sporting calendar, it has wrapped itself into British culture even though the only other interest in this bizarre, backwards moving sport is the Olympics every four years. 

From an early age I shouted for the light blues; for no good reason they were always my favourites. I could never understand why the losing crew didn't simply row faster when the other boat took the lead. It all looked so terribly obvious and easy, especially when watching those wide-angled aerial shots. Like a coach in the making, my ten-year-old-self would tell the slower crew: 'You're losing! Row faster.' Little did I know that a decade later I'd be racing for Cambridge, stuck in that miserable second spot.

The hardest test I faced at Cambridge lay not in the tutorial room, the library or the exam hall, but presented itself at 5.20 am every day. With a head-splitting squeal, the alarm always tested my resolve. It presented a choice between continuing my quest to win the Boat Race, or sleep. I came agonisingly close to throwing away my Boat Race dreams on quite a few occasions. Instead, would drag my aching body out from under the covers into the morning darkness. A typical day started with an early indoor rowing session, completed in time for a quick second breakfast and morning lectures. An equally quick lunch, often eaten in the team minibus, preceded the afternoon work on the water and then it was back to college for tutorials and dinner.

A Boat Race campaign means seven months of dedication. Juggling books and boats and avoiding injury, I somehow managed to secure myself a seat in the boat. Our sole objective was to beat a heavily favoured Oxford crew. Our crew spent the morning of the race shut away in the back of a boathouse. Two days before this, our best rower was forced to withdraw on medical grounds, as he had suffered a serious health scare. It was a brutal setback for our inexperienced crew.

Eventually, the time had come and we stepped out into the glare of the media and the cries of the crowd. We pulled up under Putney Bridge and then took the last few strokes to the start line. The umpire raised his flag. Attention. Go! The boat crashed through rough tidal waves and into a cold, unrelenting headwind. The river conditions were bleak, but less bleak than those arriving in the minds of my crew. I refused to accept the inevitable, but it was clear to the millions of people watching that Cambridge had already lost the battle. Then Oxford suddenly kicked again somewhere past halfway and at that point it really was all over. My memories of the second half of the race are hazy, but I'm sure there was a definite point at which my legs failed. Despite asking for more, there was nothing left to give. The finish line brought total exhaustion, dejection and teeth-chattering cold. 

What appeals to me, as it does to many, is the simple and brutal nature of the event. Head to head. Them or us. Unlike at the Olympic Games, where I won gold in Rio 2016 and bronze in London, there are no silver medals. That is what drew me to the event. The athletes must commit fully in search of the win. This is why it matters. That is why the losing crew will hurt so much: there's no preparation for losing.

31 What point is Tom making about the race in the first paragraph?

A It is strange that it has become so popular. 

B Public opinion about its importance is divided. 

C More British people watch the Olympic rowing. 

D It brings out the best and worst in people.

32 Tom implies that as a boy, he 

A dreamt of rowing in the race himself one day. 

B used to enjoy pretending to be one of the coaches

C found the tactics used by the crews hard to work out. 

D had no concept of the huge effort the crews were putting in.

33 In the third paragraph we learn that Tom

A convinced himself to look forward to the sound of his alarm clock. 

B sometimes wondered whether all the pain was worth it.

C often felt he wasn't feeding his body well enough.

D thought about rowing a lot when he was studying.

34 In the fourth paragraph, what does Tom say about the Boat Race he rowed in?

A Few people gave Cambridge much chance of winning that year. 

B The preparation and attitude of the Cambridge crew was perfect 

C Cambridge were confident they could overcome any setbacks. 

D The Cambridge crew went into it weakened by a series of injuries.

35 What happened during the early part of the race?

A Tom's nerves got the better of him. 

B Oxford conserved their efforts for later.

C The Cambridge crew got dispirited early on. 

D Oxford adapted better to a sudden change in the conditions.

36 What does Tom find most appealing about the Boat Race?

A the fame it brings for the participants 

B the desire not to let his teammates down

C the complex psychological challenge involved 

D the excitement of being in a win or lose situation