Trinidad & Tobago's Champion Dragon Boat Team!

Last weekend, the Trinidad & Tobago's Dragon Boat Racing Team made the islands tremendously proud, especially given that the sport was only introduced in to the islands in 2006 as part of the Chinese Bicentennial Day celebrations. Since then, regattas have taken place in both Trinidad and Tobago (primarily around Chaguaramas and Pigeon Point).

And now, just five years later, the new National Dragon Boat Team has won several medals at the International Dragon Boat Federation World Championships in Tampa, Florida.


Overall, the national team(s) came away with a whopping 20 medals:

• the Premier team: one gold, two sliver and two bronze
• the Under 23 team: four gold, one silver, five bronze
• the Under 18 team: four silver, one bronze

Big thanks to two of the team members, Summer Gibson and Stefan Williams (two colleagues of mine at the Marionettes Chorale!) for the information. All pictures courtesy them and the Trinidad & Tobago's Dragon Boat Racing Team Facebook Page.

Details of the Premier Team Races

• Men's 200m: 3rd (Phillippines 1st, Australia 2nd)
• Women's 200m: 1st (Hong Kong 2nd, Puerto Rico 3rd)
• Women's 500m: 2nd (Hong Kong 1st, Puerto Rico 3rd)
• Mixed Team 200m: 2nd (Phillippines 1st, Italy 3rd)
• Mixed Team 500m: 3rd (Phillippines 1st, Hungary 2nd)

Details of the Under 23 Team Races

• 2000m Standard Boat Mixed: 3rd 
• 10,000m Standard Boat Mixed: 3rd  
• 200m Standard Boat Mixed: 3rd  
• 200m Small Boat Female: 1st  
• 200m Small Boat Open: 1st (Hong Kong, 2nd)
• 500m Standard Boat Mixed: 3rd
• 500m All Comers Small Boat Mixed: 2nd (Canada 1st, USA 3rd)
• 500m All Comers Small Boat Open: 1st 
• 500m Small Boat Female: 3rd 
• 500m Small Boat Open: 1st 

Details of the Under 18 Team Races

• Boys' 200m: 2nd 
• Boys' 500m: 2nd 
• Girls' 200m: 2nd 
• Girls' All Comers 200m: 2nd 
• Mixed Team 200m: 3rd (Germany 1st, Canada 2nd) 

NB: small boats hold 10 paddlers, a drummer and a helmsman and the standard boats hold 20 paddlers, a drummer and a helmsman. All Under 18 mixed races were standard, 20-paddler boats; small boats were used for boy/girl junior races and for the premier team races.