470 Fleet in Tight Battle at China National Games

The sailing competition of the 12th National Games of the People’s Republic of China is taking place in Dalian, Liaoning Province, from 28 August - 8 September. Recognized as China's premier national sports event, there are 28 teams contesting the 470 event, from an original sixty-two teams in who competed in the qualifying event.

The format is ten races, with the top 8 advancing to the Medal Race. With 6 races now completed, two teams Wang Xiaoli/Huang Xufeng, who claimed China's first ever 470 World Championship medal at last month's 470 Worlds where they secured bronze, and Xu Xiaomei/Yu Chunyan, who finished in 6th place at the 470 Worlds, are tied on 9 points each.

The top six of the leaderboard are incredibly close, with teams from two provinces holding the six places.

The China National Games are held every four years, with many of China's elite sailors competing in the 470 Men and Women events, along with the RSX Men and Women, Laser Standard and Laser Radial, and Mistral Women. The level of competition and importance of the Games is high, and the Chinese Yachting Association invited two experienced IROs, Nino Shmueli and Bill O’Hara, to be the race officers of Course A and B, along with an International Jury.

Held every four years, the Games showcases all the 28 Olympic sports, as well as baseball, softball and Wushu (a Chinese martial art) and has attracted 9,770 athletes, from the provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions, the People's Liberation Army, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps along with teams from the various sports associations of the railway, coal mining, forestry, finance, banking and aviation industries.

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Top Image: Wang Xiaoli/Huang Xufeng after securing the bronze medal at the 470 Worlds © Christoph Breschi