The 7th China Shaoxing International Open Water Swimming Open, "Welcoming the Asian Games and Participating Together," was held at Guazhu Lake in Keqiao

On the morning of November 5th, hosted by the Zhejiang Provincial Sports Bureau and organized by the Zhejiang Provincial Sports Competition Center, the People's Government of Keqiao District, Shaoxing City, and the Shaoxing Municipal Sports Bureau, the "Green Water and Green Mountains, Sports Zhejiang" Zhejiang Province 3rd Ecological Games (Shaoxing Keqiao Station) "Welcoming the Asian Games and Participating Together" 2022 Keqiao District 6th Sports Leisure Fashion Week "Fujian Minshang Cup" 7th China Shaoxing International Open Water Swimming Open was grandly opened at the Guazhu Lake West Bank Park.

This competition attracted nearly 500 participants from more than 20 teams across the province. Chen Qin, Deputy District Mayor of Keqiao District People's Government, Xu Xun, Secretary and Director of the Party Working Committee of Keqiao District Education and Sports Bureau, Zheng Changlin, Executive Chairman of Sichuan Chamber of Commerce in Keqiao District, Ding Guojian, President of Shaoxing Winter Swimming Association, Qi Guanxing, President of China Textile City Winter Swimming Association in Keqiao District, and other leading guests attended the opening ceremony.

Xu Xun delivered a speech at the opening ceremony, saying that Keqiao is a water town in Jiangnan. The entire city was born, built, and prospered because of water. The Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal, Jianhu Lake, Guazhu Lake, and Xiaoban Lake are all beautiful scenic spots of Keqiao, the source of life and spiritual energy for Keqiao city. In residential life, with the improvement of the water environment in Keqiao and the abundance of water resources, Keqiao citizens are more fond of being with water, embracing each other on blind dates, and exercising in open waters by the river and lake, which has become an important part of Keqiao citizens' daily lives. Swimming and fitness have become a new fashion for Keqiao citizens.

Xu Xun stated that in recent years, Keqiao's competitive sports have flourished, with a large number of outstanding athletes such as Olympic silver medalist Xu Dongxiang and National Games champion Sun Xinchang emerging. Mass sports are becoming increasingly diverse, adding vitality and agility to Keqiao's urban water city, and helping the whole society form a strong atmosphere of national fitness and welcoming the Asian Games. For this reason, he welcomes swimmers from all over the world to come to Keqiao for competitions and leisure, and to join the national fitness feast.

According to the arrangement, the morning competition is divided into four events: 6X200m mixed relay race, men's 1000m, women's 1000m, and 500m swimming. The competition was intense and exciting. With the sound of the starting whistle, everyone jumped into the lake and swam forward vigorously. On the wide lake surface, the contestants waved their arms to cut through the waves and bravely competed. The waves were swirling and splashing, and the entire Guazhu Lake West Bank Park was filled with a tense atmosphere of competition.

Hundreds of winter swimmers swim freely in Guazhu Lake. At the West Coast Park competition site, cheers and cheers from the crowd filled the entire venue. Athletes are chopping waves and chasing after each other, each striving to make an impact towards the finish line. The competition has ended. In the 6X200m mixed relay event, the Hangzhou Swimming Association team won the championship with a time of 17 minutes and 26 seconds; In the individual 1000 meter race, Pu Junxiang from Hangzhou Swimming Association won the men's 1000 meter championship with a time of 12 minutes 39.37 seconds; The women's 1000m championship was won by Pu Junxiang's teammate, Lan Zhuohong from Hangzhou Swimming Association, with a time of 14 minutes and 03 seconds. The host Chinese Textile City Winter Swimming Association team won the team championship.

(Author: Feng Jianhua Photography: Zhao Weizhang, Song Hua, Tao Zuhua)