(ECNS) -- More than 600 athletes from around the world competed in Suzhou, eastern China's Jiangsu province, at the International Canoe Federation's Stand Up Paddling (SUP) World Cup, which concluded Wednesday.
The three-day event, held jointly with the China SUP Club League's Suzhou stop, took place in the waters surrounding the city's ancient moat.
The competition featured several categories, including the youth, 40-plus and 50-plus divisions, with events ranging from long-distance and sprint races to technical races. Athletes competed both individually and in mixed-gender events.
The 16-kilometer long-distance race around the ancient city moat was one of the event's signature attractions and drew more than 500 participants. The course followed a core section of the Grand Canal, passing historic landmarks including Pingmen, Xiangmen, Shemen and Panmen.
Since hosting the China SUP Elite Competition in 2023, Suzhou has steadily expanded its capacity to stage major events. Suzhou hosted its upgraded National SUP Championships in 2024, followed by the SUP Asian Cup Marathon in 2025.
This year's event further embraced the concept of combining sporting events with tourism. Using an international sporting competition as a platform, Suzhou aims to bridge the gap between professional sports and recreational activities while making greater use of its waterways and cultural tourism resources. The integration of sports and tourism is helping showcase the historic city's appeal to visitors from around the world.
(By Gong Weiwei)
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