NANJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Over 300 rowers from 30 global universities competed in the 2025 Nanjing International Universities Rowing Open on the Qinhuai River in east China's Jiangsu Province last weekend.

New Zealand's University of Otago claimed the men's rowing championship, with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and Tongji Worldunion Rowing Club ranking second and third, respectively.

Amidst the competition, they paddled through the waves and forged youthful friendships. Glen Sinclair of the University of Otago said he thoroughly enjoyed the competition. "It's not just because we won, but we also felt the beauty of Nanjing and made precious friendships."

As Sinclair noted, beyond the competition itself, rowing serves as a bond for young people worldwide.

For the first time, the competition featured a standalone women's rowing division. The Women of Washington Rowing Team won the title, with the University of Amsterdam finishing runner-up, and Tongji Worldunion Rowing Club in third place.

Yasimin Farooq, leader of the Washington team, revealed that one of their members had broken a foot the day before the competition, forcing them to find a substitute. Fortunately for them, a rower from a Nanjing club stepped in to race with them.

"So we had a blended boat with members from Washington and Nanjing," Farooq said, hailing the opportunity to race together as a unified team.

Huang Peiying, a rower from Nanjing Intercollegiate Women's Rowing Crew, noted that sportsmanship shone throughout the races: whenever boats from different teams drew close, rowers would cheer each other on. She added that the regatta offered an excellent opportunity for international exchange, allowing them to make more foreign friends.

Evan Laura Park from the Washington team noted that athletes from different countries typically exchange badges as souvenirs after international competitions, so their team had specifically brought their own badges this time.

"Through this event, we've met many rowers from different countries and cultural backgrounds. We took photos and exchanged gifts together. It's been an unforgettable competitive exchange," said Park.

Outside the races, rowers took in a cruise on the Yangtze River, and visited cultural landmarks such as Nanjing Confucius Temple and the Grand Baoen Temple.

"This is my first time in Nanjing, and I hope to stay longer. The culture and people here have broadened my horizons greatly," said Nimal De Silva, a rower from Cambridge University's Peterhouse College.

Axel Mueller, member of the World Rowing Federation Council and Chairman of the Youth Rowing Committee, added: "During the event, they gathered together to engage in exchanges and interactions between different cultures and universities, and rowing definitely provides the perfect environment for this." Enditem