First women's rowing competition in Fengxian is 'oarsome'
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About 150 female athletes in 55 teams raced on Jinhuigang River in Fengxian over the weekend.
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About 150 female athletes in 55 teams race on Jinhuigang River in Fengxian over the weekend.
Ti Gong -
About 150 female athletes in 55 teams race on Jinhuigang River in Fengxian over the weekend.
Ti Gong -
About 150 female athletes in 55 teams race on Jinhuigang River in Fengxian over the weekend.
Ti Gong
The inaugural "Fengxian New City Cup" 2023 China International Women's Rowing Elite Competition began at Jinhuigang River in Shanghai's outlying Fengxian District on Saturday.
About 150 female athletes from across the country braved the drizzling rain to compete on the river, attracting enthusiastic cheers from fans.
This event, organized by the Fengxian Sports Bureau and the Fengpu Subdistrict, aims to leverage Fengxian's ecological and strategic advantages in the "Oriental Beauty Valley" industrial hub, according to the organizers.
The competition included elite, club, and university groups, each competing in 1,000-meter races with four rowers and 500-meter racing lanes with two rowers on Jinhuigang, known as the mother river of Fengxian.
The event drew 55 teams with 149 participants from 11 provinces and cities across China, including from Peking, Tsinghua and Tongji universities.
Chen Mengyan from Donghua University expressed excitement about the increased opportunities for female athletes in dedicated women's rowing events.
Chen said in mixed-gender competitions, opportunities for female athletes were relatively limited. During the event tailored for female athletes, she managed to switch from being a coxswain to a rower.
To promote water sports' long-term development, the Chinese Rowing Association has partnered with the Fengxian District government to develop the "Water Magic Cube" water sports club project along the Jinhuigang.
This initiative aims to create a vibrant water sports culture by combining rowing, kayaking, dragon boat racing and sports exhibitions, offering a year-round water sports experience for citizens and boosting the water sports economy in Fengxian.
