The growing Asian population of Metro Atlanta elevates the excitement of the Dragon Boat World Championships coming to Lake Lanier, September 13-16
Georgia’s Lake Lanier Olympic Park (LLOP) will host the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Dragon Boat World Championships September 13-16. 1,500 athletes from over 25 countries—including the United States, Hungary, China, Japan, and Italy—will gather to compete in traditional canoes, adorned with dragon’s heads and tails, while also celebrating the cultural heritage of this deeply symbolic Asian heritage event.
The competition and subsequent festival make up the largest Asian-cultural event in the Metro Atlanta area, which is significant because of the growing Asian demographics. The city’s metro population increased by 24% between 2000 and 2010, but the Asian-American population increased by 88%. With such an influx of local Asian-Americans, the Dragon Boat World Championship is stirring up major excitement throughout North Georgia. Although Dragon Boats originate from China, the championships and three-day festival showcase various Asian ethnic groups in the greater Atlanta.
Gainesville native, Jim O’Dell, chairman of and junior coach for Team USA, says this exciting event features the best of Asian culture, offering fun for all. Visitors can indulge in cuisines from different Asian countries, shop for cultural wares and watch Chinese dances and other cultural presentations throughout LLOP. The festivities set the stage for the fierce competition on the longest stretch of flat waterway in the United States.
“With its’ over 2,000-year-old roots in Chinese lore, Dragon Boat racing is now a global phenomenon, with an estimated 72.5 million people paddling these crafts around the world. The sport is extremely popular in the US, Canada, Europe and, of course, throughout the Asian nations,” says O’Dell.
Team USA will have multiple teams participating and this competition will be the largest world gathering of athletes in the area since the Centennial Olympic Games in 1996. Around 10,000 spectators are expected and the estimated economic impact is predicted to be five million dollars.
Available Interviews:
The following people are available to speak to journalists about the significance of the World Dragon Boat Championships to the local Asian population:
Li Wong: lwong@gasiantimes.com
Henry Yu: yuhenry9@gmail.com
Kim Liemkeo: kliemkeo@gmail.com
Enoy Chanlyvong: chanlyvong16@gmail.com
Bora Lam: blam2008@gmail.com
Charlene Fang: ysm33888@gmail.com
Jim O’Dell, Canoe/Kayak/Dragon Boat Coach and Team Building Facilitator
Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club; 2017 Sprint National Champions
Regional and Junior National Coach
Dragon Boat USA; 2014 World Champions
770-287-7888 office
770-561-0382 cell
jim.odell@lckc.org
OFFICIAL MEDIA CONTACT:
Robyn Lynch, Robyn@LakeLanierOlympicVenue.org
Lake Lanier Olympic Park
770-535-0397