PUERTO PRINCESA CITY: The Philippines clinched two additional gold medals on Sunday, bringing their total to 11 at the 2024 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Dragon Boat World Championships held in this city. The Filipino paddlers showcased their prowess by winning the 40+ mixed 20-seater 500-meter race with a time of 2:06.34, narrowly defeating competitors from Singapore (2:06.73) and Germany (2:07.98).
According to Philippines News Agency, the Philippines also emerged victorious in the women’s 20-seater 2000m event, which featured only two entries. The team completed the race in 10:42.31, surpassing Canada, who finished at 10:48.64. This victory ensures the Filipinos’ overall title in the competition, which featured participants from 27 nations.
The Filipino team’s performance has been exceptional, as they had already exceeded their previous record from the 2018 edition in Gainesville, Georgia, where they secured a 5-1-2 finish. As of now, Thailand ranks second with eight golds, followed by Individual
Neutral Athletes, comprising Russians and Belarusians, with 6-3-3, and Ukraine with 5-0-1. Canada, Hungary, and Iran each hold four gold medals, while both the Czech Republic and Poland have won two.
The nine other gold medals for the Philippines in this tournament were achieved in various categories, including the 20-seater Open 200m, 20-seater Women 200m, and multiple events in the 40+ and 50+ age groups. The team’s efforts also resulted in a collection of 20 silver and seven bronze medals in the first three days of the competition. The event was organized by the Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragon Boat Federation in partnership with the Puerto Princesa city government.
Despite their successes, the Philippines finished fifth in the mixed 200-meter small boat race on Saturday, one of the three events that determine the top nine countries eligible for the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China. Earlier on Friday, the team placed 10th in the 2,000m race, with the final 500m race scheduled for Sunday. Overall points fr
om all three events will decide the qualifying nations. Indonesia and Thailand have already secured the first two slots at the World Cup held in Yichang, China, with China automatically qualifying as the host country.