"Two golds are our assurance, but four golds are our aspiration! We aim to hoist our national flag and play our national anthem on the podium!" said Lao Jianhui, the team leader of the Luofu Gong Dragon Boat Team from Lecong, a town in Shunde, Foshan, at the mobilization meeting for the Chinese dragon boat teams ahead of the 16th Dragon Boat World Racing Championship on August 4th.

From August 6th to 13th, the 16th Dragon Boat World Racing Championship will take place in Pattaya, Thailand. The Lecong Luofu Gong Dragon Boat Team from Shunde will represent China in the 22-player dragon boat race of elite open groups. They will compete ferociously in four events that represent the highest level of world dragon boat sport: straight races covering 200 meters, 500 meters and 1,000 meters, and the race against a clock of 2,000 meters.

With a relentless regimen of six hours of training every day and 120 days of closed-door training, the Lecong Luofu Palace Dragon Boat Team from Shunde rigorously selected 26 participants. The team's average age is only 23.5 years, making it the youngest, highest-professional-level, and best-competition-ready team since its formation.

After nearly five months of specialized training, the dragon boat team has strategically positioned the 200 meters and 500 meters straight races as "assured gold" events, while the 1,000-meters straight race and the 2,000-meter race against a clock as "gold-chasing" events.

"We participated in the last Asian Dragon Boat Racing Championship held in Pattaya, Thailand, and achieved remarkable results, winning three golds and three silvers. We are more familiar with the venue and are more confident than the last time," said Luo Kai and Luo Xuan, the twin brothers in the dragon boat team. For the Dragon Boat World Racing Championship, the team has fully utilized its short-course advantages while making significant adjustments and breakthroughs in the two long-distance events. "So, we are quite confident about the long-distance competition! We hope to contribute to the team, perform at our best level on the field, and win glory for Guangdong and our country!"

Notably, this will be the 15th time the Lecong Luofu Gong Dragon Boat Team from Shunde represents China in an international dragon boat event. Since its establishment in September 2011, the team has won 403 championships in international and national dragon boat events, represented the country 14 times in international dragon boat events, and won 37 gold medals, setting the best-ever record for the Chinese men's dragon boat team in the Asian Dragon Boat Racing Championship, the World Dragon Boat Racing Championship, and breaking the zero-gold record in Asian dragon boat Race games.

世界龙舟锦标赛力争四金！“顺德龙”第15次出征国际赛事

“保证目标为两金，理想目标是四金！我们要在赛场上升国旗、奏国歌！”8月4日，第16届世界龙舟锦标赛中国龙舟队出征前动员大会上，佛山顺德乐从罗浮宫龙舟队领队劳剑辉说道。

8月6日至13日，第16届世界龙舟锦标赛将在泰国芭提雅举行。届时，顺德乐从罗浮宫龙舟队将代表中国参加精英公开组22人龙舟比赛，在200米、500米、1000米直道竞赛与2000米绕标赛这4个代表世界龙舟运动最高水平的项目中，与各国健儿展开激烈角逐。

每天训练6小时，封闭训练120天……为在世锦赛中冲击金牌，顺德乐从罗浮宫龙舟队严格选拔，确定了参赛龙舟队员26人，队伍平均年龄仅有23.5岁，是建队以来平均年龄最低、专业水平最高、竞技状态最好的一支队伍。

经过近五个月的专项训练，龙舟队有针对性地将200米、500米直道竞赛定位为“保金”项目，1000米直道竞赛与2000米绕标赛定位为“夺金”项目。

“我们参加过上一届在泰国芭提雅举行的亚洲龙舟锦标赛，夺得了三金三银的好成绩，对于场地更熟悉，心里更有底。”龙舟队的双胞胎兄弟罗凯、罗旋表示，为冲击世锦赛，队伍充分发挥短道优势的同时，在1000米直道竞赛和2000米绕标赛两项长距离项目上也作出较大调整与突破，“所以对长距离我们是有一定信心的！我们希望能为队伍尽一份力，在赛场上发挥应有水平，为广东争光、为国家争光！”

据悉，这将是顺德乐从罗浮宫龙舟队第15次代表中国参加国际龙舟赛事。自2011年9月建队以来，龙舟队已获得国际级、国家级龙舟赛事项目冠军403个，14次代表国家参加国际龙舟赛事并获取37个赛事项目金牌，创造了中国男子龙舟队参加亚洲龙舟锦标赛、世界龙舟锦标赛历史最好成绩和亚运会龙舟赛金牌零的突破。

文丨羊城晚报全媒体记者 孙牧 欧阳志强
图、视频丨羊城晚报全媒体记者 欧阳志强 实习生 李一岚
翻译丨陈萱
责编丨古司祺
校对丨赵丹丹