Four American oarsmen, who have been protesting...

Four American oarsmen, who have been protesting a lack of voice in squad selection, were dropped from the Oxford crew for this year’s race against Cambridge when they failed to turn up for training.

The Americans, who have been protesting the exclusion of countryman Chris Clark, of Newport Beach, did not join the rest of the team at a routine training session. Team officials said they would be left off the roster for the March 28 showdown on the River Thames.

The four--oarsmen Dan Lyons, Chris Huntington and Chris Penny, and coxswain John Fish--claim that Clark was made a scapegoat for last year’s defeat, which followed 10 consecutive Oxford victories in the annual race.