Island paddlers and Team Canada have more than just memories to talk about after coming back home from winning various medals at the 16th International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) World Dragon Boat Racing Championships.
Thirty paddlers from VI Paddling joined more than 300 other Canadians on the world stage to compete against 20 other countries in Royong-Pattaya Thailand – with Canada bringing home 101 medals.
“Canada cemented its status as a global dragon boat powerhouse at this year’s World Championships by besting teams from Thailand, China, USA, and more,” said Tom Arnold, a coach for Team Canada. “A result like this requires years of dedication and training by the athletes, but I know none of them will ever forget those few moments standing at the top of the podium singing along to ‘Oh Canada’ with a gold medal around their necks.”
To be exact, Canada secured 52 gold, 36 silver and 13 bronze medals at the event with 351 races, ranging from 200-metre sprints to two-kilometre distance races from Aug. 7 to 13, according to VI Padding.
Team Canada also beat out the competition, winning all four cups, including the Worlds Nations Cup, Seniors Cup, Juniors Cup, and Women’s Cup.
“It’s not easy to make it to the top of any sport when you come from a smaller community,” said Arnold. “But thanks to talented coaches at local clubs like VI Paddling, a steadily growing number of local paddlers are finding success on the world stage.
Team Canada made history by competing in the ParaDragon division for the first time. The teams are comprised of athletes living with some form of physical, psychological, neurological, sensory, developmental, or intellectual impairment. Team Canada won a total of three gold, four silver, and two bronze medals in the various categories in the ParaDragon division categories over the week.
“When I first found out about the opportunity to represent Canada on the first ever national ParaDragon team, I knew it was something that I needed to be part of,” said Jamie Wegner-Lohin, a paddler on Team Canada’s ParaDragon team. “It was such a proud moment to race in the first-ever para-only boat at the World Dragon Boat Championships and come out of the first 2,000-metre race with a gold medal.”
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