Verdun dragonboat team nabs the gold!

Known for its unique knock-out format, the Lachine competition pits the strongest teams against each other for the final, where they aim to progressively eliminate one another. As team after team is eliminated, the remaining teams paddle to the start line to repeat the process all over again and emerge the final winner. During the A final, the Verdun Dragon Boat Club fought for first place against the Wongs DBC Dragonslayers, BMO Financial Group and Montreal Thunder.

Adrenaline won the final with a time of 52.20 seconds, while the Wongs came in second with a time of 52.22 seconds. BMO came in third. It's easy to see from these times that the battle was fierce and every stroke counted.

The club's second team, Express, also won the C final in the sport division, with a time of 55.17 seconds. Considering that this team has a number of new paddlers, the results bode well for its future.

It's a great start to the summer season for the Verdun Dragon Boat Club, which currently has close to 100 members. Those interested in the sport, can come down to the Montreal Dragon Boat Festival, taking place on July 28 and 29, at the Olympic Basin, and cheer our athletes on.

The competition included three 200-metre races and Verdun's junior team managed to finish in 13th place in the community division, which had 22 teams registered. Considering it was the only team composed of teenage paddlers, they still managed to outrank nine other teams of adult athletes.

Two more competitions are on the schedule for the junior team this year: the Summer Splash, which took place on June 30, and the Quebec Cup, on September 22 and 23.

Those interested in joining the junior team, can email the club at juniors@verdundbc.com.

A big thank you to the Verdun borough and a number of Verdun merchants for all the financial support they provide to the club.