China finished top of the table at the Fifth World
Dragon Boat Racing Championship in Shanghai on Sunday, winning
eleven gold, two silver and three bronze medals.
But it was the Russians who won the highly valued
Premier Open, a men's 500-meter race, finishing just ahead of
Canada and the Czech Republic.
The Canadians finished second in the overall
competition with five gold medals.
Many of the rowers said the most impressive
performance of the event was put in by the organizers.
"Some of our athletes have been to large
international tournaments like the Olympics but even for them,
Qingpu has done a very impressive job," said Mike Haslam, executive
vice president of the International Dragon Boat Federation.
Haslam visited Shanghai five times over the past 12
months to ensure the success of the event, which was delayed for
over a year due to the SARS outbreak.
More than 2,000 athletes took part in the event, competing in 22
classifications.
(Eastday.com October 25, 2004)
