National youth dragon boat championship concludes in Yichang

By Chen Zai

The four-day 9th National Youth Dragon Boat Championship and U-Series Dragon Boat Race concluded on August 24 in Yichang.

The four-day event was held on the Qianwan Waters in Yiling District from August 21 to 24. Photo by Fu Beibei.

The event featured more than 1,000 athletes from 65 youth teams representing mainland provinces and Hong Kong SAR.

Youth dragon boat teams compete on the water. Photo by Fu Beibei.

The competition included mixed U10, U12, U16, and U18 divisions, as well as men’s and women’s U23 divisions. Teams competed in 12-person straight-track races over 100, 200, and 500 meters. By press time, the Jiuzilong Dragon Boat Team from Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province, had swept all three races in the U18 mixed division and taken first place in the overall team standings.

The event was jointly hosted by the Social Sports Guidance Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Dragon Boat Association, the Hubei Administration of Sport, and the People's Government of Yichang. The venue, the Qianwan Waters in Yiling District, is located in the Xiling Gorge area near the Gezhouba Dam. Its wide river surface and gentle currents make it well suited for water sports.

As the hometown of ancient patriotic poet Qu Yuan and an important center of dragon boat culture, Yichang has a long tradition of dragon boat racing. Themed "Youth Dragon Boat, Vibrant Yichang," this year's championship combined traditional folk customs with competitive sports to promote Chinese culture and youth athletics.