Spirits high, the Jinhua women's dragon boat team claims victory at the 17th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

A triumphant women's dragon boat team from Jinhua in East China's Zhejiang province claimed gold on July 19 in the senior A division's 500 meters race at the 17th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships, held in Germany.

Organized biennially by the International Dragon Boat Federation, the premier competition categorizes participants in the premier, youth, and senior divisions. In the senior A division's 500m race, the Jinhua squad overcame 16 elite rivals, including teams from the United States, Germany, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic, before ultimately claiming gold.

The competition was fierce, with the top five teams separated by less than a second. In the first round of group races, the Jinhua squad advanced to the third-round final by placing second in its group.

In the final, the team set a fast tempo right from the start, gaining a 3m lead within the first 20 strokes. The paddlers maintained their precise rhythm by shouting synchronized commands throughout the race, which kept the boat moving efficiently.

Ultimately, Boat No 5, powered by Jinhua women's dragon boat team, surged ahead and crossed the finish line first, beating the opponents by half a boat length.

With this victory, the Jinhua women's dragon boat team claimed all three gold medals in the senior A division at the World Dragon Boat Championships.