On August 12, after three consecutive days of competition, the 2018 Yushu Plateau Rafting World Championships concluded in Yushu City, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. The New Zealand Men's Team 1 won the men’s championship with 937 points, followed by Japan in second place, while China’s Men's Team 1 took third with a total score of 789. In the women’s competition, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, and Russia secured the top three spots respectively.
The championships were jointly organized by the International Rafting Federation, the Aquatics Sports Administration of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Qinghai Provincial Sports Bureau, and the People’s Government of Yushu Prefecture, and hosted by the People’s Government of Yushu City.
Geng Qiumei, Director of the Yushu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio, Film and Television, said that this high-level event showcased Yushu’s green image to the world. They will also take this opportunity to promote Yushu’s concept of green development to more people, allowing the green values promoted through sports to take root in more hearts.
“We hope more people who love life and enjoyoutdoorsports will embark on a rafting journey in Yushu that returns to nature and experiences ancient civilization. We also hope to leverage this event to let the eco-friendly Yushu brand flow far and wide, just like the ceaselessly rushing rivers,” said Liu Qing, Deputy Director of Department IV of the Aquatics Sports Administration of the General Administration of Sport of China.
The competition featured four events: sprint, head-to-head, slalom, and long distance, with the overall standings determined by cumulative scores across all four.
On the first day of the championships on the 10th, New Zealand Men's Team 1 and New Zealand Women's Team won the men’s and women’s sprint events with times of 92.30 seconds and 102.86 seconds respectively. They also dominated the head-to-head events, taking both the men’s and women’s titles by a wide margin.
In the slalom event on the 11th, China’s Men's Team 1 claimed the men’s title, while Japan and New Zealand Men's Team 1 took second and third places respectively. In the women’s slalom, New Zealand won the championship, with Russia and Costa Rica finishing as runners-up and third. On the 12th, during the long-distance race, New Zealand Men's Team 1 and the Czech Republic won the men’s and women’s championships respectively.
During the award ceremony that evening, Feng Chun, a veteran of the 1986 Yangtze River rafting expedition, was awarded the titles of “Yushu Rafting Chief Advisor” and “Honorary Citizen of Yushu City.”
The event attracted nearly 200 rafting athletes from 23 teams across 17 countries and regions, including China, New Zealand, Japan, the Czech Republic, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Russia.
Jo-Willis Jones, President of the International Rafting Federation, spoke highly of the championships, stating that Yushu, as the source of the Three Great Rivers, delivered a highly successful rafting event. Athletes from around the world demonstrated their skills at high altitude, showcasing the thrill of rafting.