Tasmania’s Derwent Storm celebrating a nail biting dragon boat semi final victory at Lake Orr in Varsity Lakes today Photo: Brayden Williams.
Friday 11 November 2016
By Brayden Williams
Tasmania’s Derwent Storm dragon boating team narrowly missed a medal at today’s Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games (JPPMG) on the Gold Coast.
After winning their semi-final race by centimetres they finished in fourth place in the grand final race, on the beautiful Lake Orr.
Derwent Storm crossing the line first in today’s semi-final race. Photo: Brayden Williams.
The Storm have been attending the JPPMG since 2010 and ‘absolutely love’ coming here, according to team captain Alison Mourant.
– Alison Mourant
“We are starved of competition in Tasmania and we just love the atmosphere of the Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games.”
The team consists of about 30 competitors who were all happy to make the five-hour trek to the games.
“It was a long day trying to get here, but it is something we always look forward to so we don’t care how long it takes for us,” Alison said.
Sports convenor for dragon boating, Janine Lette, explained that this year has attracted the largest field of competitors since the games started in 1998.
“This year we have the largest number of competitors in Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games history. It is even bigger than our national competition,” Janine said.
The 10th biennial Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games is being held 5 – 13 November 2016 on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
The event showcases competition in 43 sports and is hosting 13,000 participants from Queensland, interstate and overseas.
