Iron Dragons, New Dragons x University College and Liquid Assets, a club linked to Rotman Commerce, raced at the International Dragon Boat Federation’s 2026 Club Crew World Championship in Hualien County, Taiwan. The event ran Aug. 29 to Sept. 6 and drew roughly 5,500 athletes from 21 countries.
Iron Dragons finished on the podium in every race they entered, winning two gold and four silver medals. New Dragons x University College took seven gold, four silver and five bronze. Sisters Katherine and Elizabeth Elder of Iron Dragons called Liyu Lake the most beautiful place they had paddled.
Hannah Seow says her team won a mixed 200-metre race by 0.04 seconds after a rain delay, and Grace Gan of Liquid Assets, who joined with no previous experience, says the sport demands total focus. Seow says the team felt like Olympians.
Reported from Paddlers bring home boatload of memories and medals from international dragon boat races (U of T News, September 21, 2026).
More from the original reporting: www.utoronto.ca/news/paddlers-bring-home-boatload-memories-and-medals-international-dragon-boat-races