On October 13, the 2024 ICF “Hangzhou Super Cup” came to a thrilling conclusion in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Chinese athletes achieved remarkable success in both kayak sprint and marathon events, bringing home a total of four gold medals, eight silver medals, and three bronze medals.
The event was groundbreaking as it featured top international competitions across four disciplines: kayak sprint, slalom, marathon, and kayak polo, attracting over 530 competitors from 36 countries and regions, including 13 Olympic champions.
As the final competition day unfolded, the intensity of the races ramped up. In the kayak sprint men’s and women’s double 500 meters, Chinese athletes clinched two golds in the women’s category. Meanwhile, Italian competitors secured two golds in the men’s events, and a mixed team of international athletes won the gold in the mixed category.
Young Chinese competitors particularly stood out in today’s finals. In the women’s double kayak 500 meters, the duo of Teng Anshuo and Jiang Xina dominated the field right from the start, leading the race and ultimately finishing with a time of 2 minutes and 1.581 seconds to claim victory. “We’ve been partners since we started training together, which has been over five years. Winning today feels even better than winning yesterday; that’s the power of teamwork,” Jiang Xina expressed.
The Chinese athletes also displayed a strong performance in the women’s double kayak 500 meters final, with seven pairs from China competing against only one international duo, Jorgensen and Martina. Yu Shiming and Chen Yule took the lead from the start and managed to hold off pressure from their competitors to win with a time of 1 minute and 49.070 seconds, securing another gold for the Chinese team. “Winning this gold medal in my hometown makes me incredibly happy. The water here feels fantastic to paddle in, and my family came to watch me compete, which makes it all the more exciting and empowering,” Chen Yule shared.
Notably, the new Olympic event, extreme kayaking, made a spectacular debut at this year’s “Hangzhou Super Cup.” In this thrilling competition, four kayaks simultaneously launched off a three-meter slope and raced into the water, with athletes quickly jockeying for advantageous positions while navigating through gates. The competition demanded a combination of skill, strength, speed, and strategy. Ultimately, Swiss athlete Chiarello and Czech athlete Teresa emerged victorious, taking home the gold medals for men and women, respectively.
