The races at the 22nd Shanghai Suzhou Creek Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament were held on June 13 and 14 on Suzhou Creek in Putuo District.

This year's tournament attracted 51 teams from around the world, competing in four categories: elite, university, open, and mass participation. International crews from Malaysia, Russia, and Germany joined local teams, reflecting the event's growing international profile.

The tournament also encouraged residents to engage with water sports and explore new leisure activities in the nearby Tian'an 1000 Trees commercial area.

Antoine Sahut, captain of the Shanglong Dragon Boat Team and a longtime Shanghai resident working in manufacturing, has participated regularly in the Suzhou Creek race since 2010.

"Every year we want to come. It's the only race that is really in downtown Shanghai," he said, adding that public interest in sport, particularly team events such as dragon boat racing, had continued to grow steadily.

Another veteran competitor, Allen Wan, a journalist with Bloomberg News' Shanghai bureau, competed as part of a team of foreign correspondents based in the city. The group trained every Thursday afternoon for two months in preparation for the event.

Wan said participants have become increasingly serious about the competition as it has expanded and attracted more international teams, evolving beyond a small event.

Having lived and worked in Shanghai for more than 15 years and competed in dragon boat racing for over a decade, Wan also views the tournament as an important platform for cultural exchange and interaction with local communities.

This year's competition also marked the first Shanghai appearance of MainLoong, a German team founded in Frankfurt on the River Main in 2008.

Captain Da Li-Schumann said the team regularly competed in dragon boat races across Germany. He added that they are excited to join an increasingly international event in one of the world's best-known cities.