Press Release Details
Lincoln High School Dragon Boat Team Wins World Championships
San Francisco (August 1, 2018) - The Abraham Lincoln High School Dragon Boat team took home the gold in four competitions at the 11th International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) Club Crew World Championship Races in Szeged, Hungary in July. Led by coaches Fanny Chen, Wesley Chen, Matt Chen, and team manager Brian Yee, the team of 37 student athletes competed in six division category races, winning gold in four and silver in two during the six-day festival.
Lincoln won gold medals in the Junior A 200-meter and 500-meter categories, both for the mixed (gender) and women (all-girls) divisions. The team also placed silver for two categories: the open (boys) division 200-meter and 500-meter races.
“We are incredibly proud of what the Dragon Boat team accomplished in Hungary,” Lincoln High School Principal Shari Balisi said. “Not only did the team do a wonderful job of representing Lincoln High, but they also did an outstanding job representing San Francisco and the United States in a prominent international setting. Go Mustangs!”
With more than 6,000 participants from 150 teams representing 30 countries competing, this event is considered to be one of the largest international dragon boat events. As the highest level of competition for the sport, it features some of the fastest teams from around the world. Lincoln Dragon Boat achieved the fastest final and average times in the mixed division 500-meter category out of the 20 teams, including adults and seniors, representing the United States.
ABOUT LINCOLN’S DRAGON BOAT TEAM
Established in 1996, Lincoln High School Dragon Boat Team is the school’s largest independent student organization and one of the largest dragon boat teams in California. As a club sport run by volunteer coaches, the team’s purpose goes beyond paddling to develop students into responsible young adults fostering discipline, respect, strong work ethics, and positive sportsmanship. The team holds championship titles from the 2016 and 2017 Northern California International Dragon Boat races, has the highest win count within the California Dragon Boat Association (CDBA), and is the only team to sweep all top CDBA high school divisions three times in a row.
Dragon Boat, a human-powered watercraft sport that originated in Southern China, has been celebrated for over 2,000 years and is today’s fastest growing international watercraft sport. Race festivals are held in locations throughout the world every year. As well as in the U.S., the Lincoln Dragon Boat Team has competed in Asia, Europe, Australia and Canada. Participation in international dragon boat events provides tremendous opportunities for our students to learn about different cultures and to represent our community through paddling.
Visit us on Facebook @LincolnDragonBoat, Instagram @lincolnarmy and YouTube.
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Page updated on 08/01/18