As the 2023 National Canoe Still Water Spring Championship draws to a close, more and more spectators enter the Fuyang Water Sports Center. On March 30, the event ushered in the first batch of citizens who bought tickets through the “Asian Games Online” platform, and they all praised the Asian Games venue at their doorstep. On the same day, Thomas, the chairman of the International Canoe Federation, also came to watch the race and gave a thumbs up to the beautiful Fuchun River.
The chairman of the International Canoe Federation praised Fuchunjiang
In the afternoon, Thomas, the chairman of the International Canoe Federation, and his party came to Fuyang Water Sports Center, watched the competition, and presented awards to the top three teams in the men’s 500-meter four-person kayak.
This is the first time for Thomas to come to Fuchun River. He said frankly that he has heard of the beautiful scenery of Fuchun River before, but he has never had the opportunity to see it with his own eyes. “Fuyang Water Sports Center has green mountains and green waters as the background, which can well echo the kayaking and still water events.” Thomas believes that not only kayaking events, but also other large-scale water sports are also very suitable here.
“Kayaking is not only an event in the Asian Games, but also an Olympic event.” Thomas said that whether in Europe or Asia, kayaking still has a lot of room for development. The Hangzhou Asian Games is very good for promoting this sport opportunity.
Finally, Thomas did not forget to express his praise for Fuchunjiang in Chinese: “Fuchunjiang is awesome!”
Athletes enjoying the game here
Athletes naturally have the most say in how the competition venue is. Fuyang Aquatic Center, almost all the athletes are full of praise.
Xu Shixiao is the champion of the women’s 500-meter double rowing at the Tokyo Olympics. She said that the Fuyang Aquatic Center is very good in terms of software and hardware. Coach Jing Ying also felt the same way; “This is a beautiful arena with world-class scenery and venues. It is a kind of enjoyment for the athletes to compete here and leave a good impression on everyone.”
Ji Bowen won the silver medal in the men’s 1,000-meter rowing single, second only to national teammate Liu Hao. As a native of Zhejiang, he said that it is a great honor to participate in the competition in his hometown. The atmosphere of the whole competition is very good, and the venue is also very technological.
In the last Asian Games in Jakarta, the Chinese team participated in 10 canoeing events and won 8 gold medals. Jing Ying said that it is the pride of Chinese people to host the Asian Games in Fuyang, which has beautiful mountains and rivers. I believe that the games here will continue to create new glories.
There is also a world champion hidden in the audience
In the stands, the spectators waved the small red flags in their hands and cheered for the athletes. Among them, several of them wore the uniforms of the Chinese team. It turned out that they were members of the Chinese paragliding team.
Li Chennan and her husband Wang Hongji are from Xinfuyang. She has won the women’s and team championships in the Paragliding World Cup, and her husband has won the Asian Championships. They also joined hands to represent China in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. For them, as sports people, they will naturally not miss the exciting games at their doorstep. “The game was very enjoyable, especially seeing the lagging team overtake and win the championship. It was very exciting, and it was like feeling the atmosphere of the Asian Games in advance.” Li Chennan said.
“My son is competing, and it’s not easy for an athlete. We specially bought tickets to support him.” Jin Meihui, the mother of Zhejiang player Ding Shengkai, rushed to Fuyang from Xiaoshan early in the morning. On the same day, Ding Shengkai performed well in the men’s 500-meter double kayak competition and broke into the final. Jin Meihui was satisfied with her son’s performance.
