Amsterdam, Otago universities win Donghu rowing

Teams from domestic and overseas universities compete in the Donghu Lake International Rowing Race held in Wuhan on Wednesday.Photos provided to China Daily

The University of Amsterdam became the defending men's champion of the Donghu Lake International Rowing Race held in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Wednesday, followed 1.16 seconds behind by Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

The University of Otago in New Zealand won the women's championship.

The race, first held in 2013, attracted eight teams from overseas universities including the University of Amsterdam, University of Cambridge and University of London, and four teams from key universities in China, namely Peking University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, the Fourth Military Medical University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Rowing races originated in Europe and are regarded as a sport for nobility. Since the University of Cambridge and Oxford University first held rowing races on the Thames in 1892, they have become a competitive fixture for elite universities, including Yale and Harvard.

Wuhan started its rowing championship last year after its Donghu Lake Scenic Area was listed as a national 5A scenic site.