On June 10, China Yichang Natural Waters International Extreme Drifting F1 Grand Prix opened in Jiuwanxi, Zigui County. After fierce competition, Brazilian players Lucas Paulino Da Silva (right) and Joao Luiz Rodrigues Junior (left) won the men's professional championship with the record of 26 minutes and 07 seconds. (Photographer: Li Feng; Full Media Reporter of the Three Gorges Daily)

　　On June 10, China Yichang Natural Waters International Extreme Drifting F1 Grand Prix opened in Jiuwanxi, Zigui County. More than 400 drifters from home and abroad competed for the honor with “speed and passion”.

　　The event, the world's top event of extreme drifting, is sponsored by China Extreme Sports Association, Hubei Sports Bureau and Yichang Municipal Government. There are three sub-competition sites in the Grand Prix: Jiuwanxi of Zigui, Qinglongxia of Dianjun District, Hengding of Yuanan County and the race site for the Final ,Chaotianhou of Xingshan County. Jiuwanxi is the first race in this series of Grand Prix. The event boasts only two-person boat drifting competition with men's, women's and amateur open groups. Olympic champion Yang Wenjun attended the event. More than 400 players from 44 domestic and international professional canoeing teams and rafting enthusiasts from all over the country participated in the competition.

　　The drifting competition officially kicked off at 10 a.m. Well-trained professional players sometimes swayed into the waves and sometimes rowed around the side of the stream. They sailed slowly and steadily in the turbulence and advanced at full speed in still water. Jiuwanxi drifting track is 6.4 kilometers long, with a relative drop of more than 100 meters. After fierce competition, Brazil won the championship with 26 minutes and 7 seconds, Britain and the United States won the runner-up and the third place of the men's professional team respectively. Hubei women's team won the championship of the women's group with 30 minutes and 59 seconds, followed by the women’ groups from Hungary( runner-up) and Bulgaria (third place) respectively. Drifter Lei Shizhu and Yan Yong won the amateur team's championship. (Reporters Ruan Zhongmou, Yang Chunyan; Correspondent Zhou Huashan)