The national dragon boat team bagged three gold medals, breaking a world record in the process in the 20-seater men’s 200 meters in the 2017 Taiwan International Dragon Boat Championships yesterday.
Led by Daniel Ortega and Roger Masbate, the Filipino paddlers clocked 40.16 seconds in the semifinals at the Fulu river that shattered the team’s previous record of 41 seconds during the 2014 ICF Dragon Boat World Championships in Poznan, Poland.
The national team timed 40.48 seconds in the 200m big boat finals besting Chinese Taipei’s Fitness Factory (43.57s) and Taiwan’s Ludong Township (47.01s).
Philippine Canoe Kayak Federation president Jonne Go said the win is a sign that they are in the right direction with their preparation for the world championships and the Asian Games. (Waylon Galvez)