Guangxi’s athlete Lu Chuntao clinched victory in the women’s 60-meter single bamboo drifting race on the opening day of the 12th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities of China. Her win marks a significant achievement as she completes her collection of gold medals across all women’s events in the sport at the Games.
The men’s 60-meter title was secured by Wei Bingyue, also representing Guangxi, highlighting the region’s dominance in this unique and challenging sport.
Single bamboo drifting originated as a means of transportation in northern Guizhou province. Recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2021, it has evolved into a competitive sport where athletes balance on a single piece of bamboo while racing at high speeds across the water.
Lu Chuntao, a member of the Zhuang ethnic group, expressed her joy at achieving her goal. “I’m very happy to finally win all three women’s events of this sport in the Games,” she said. “I think the beauty of the sport is that it showcases the athlete’s power and balance on the bamboo.”
The sport demands exceptional balance, strength, and multitasking abilities. “This sport requires a lot physically from the athletes,” Lu explained. “The technique is to use the interaction force between the bamboo pole and water to find balance. Racing faster depends on the athlete’s physical strength.”
Even experienced athletes face challenges. “The most difficult thing is multitasking, as you need to keep your balance standing up, maintain direction, and speed up simultaneously,” Lu added. “It’s not an easy task to accomplish, and we fall down quite frequently.”
This victory marks Lu’s first 60-meter title after previously securing gold in the 100-meter and 200-meter events at earlier editions of the Games. Her success highlights the dedication and skill required to excel in single bamboo drifting, a sport deeply rooted in China’s cultural heritage.
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Guangxi's Lu Chuntao wins women's 60m single bamboo drifting race
cgtn.com
