[Anchor]
Athletes participating in the 2026 Ulsan World Elite Universities Rowing Festival have begun serious preparations for the competition on the Taehwagang River in Ulsan. Marking its 3rd year, this year's event features 14 universities from 8 countries, promising an exciting showdown.
Reporter Park Jae-kwon from UBC has the details.
[Reporter]
Athletes returning to the Taehwagang River step off the bus, waving brightly.
They adjust the footstretcher positions to fit their leg lengths.
This is the process of rigging, the precise tuning that connects the athlete and the boat as one.
In rowing, where fractions of a second decide the outcome, the precision of rigging is a key factor in determining victory or defeat.
This year's rowing competition brings together 14 universities from 8 countries to compete.
As the global squads are deep into preparations, a major highlight of the event is the traditional rivalry match between the UK's University of Oxford and University of Cambridge.
[Amelia Kopatz / Oxford Rowing Team: The rivalry between Cambridge and Oxford is very long-standing. Both universities have claimed to be the best, and I think Oxford is superior.]
The two universities have engaged in a fierce rowing rivalry for a staggering 197 years, making it one of the oldest collegiate sports rivalries in the world.
Oxford won the head-to-head matchup held on the Taehwagang River last year, while Cambridge is determined to seek revenge this year.
[Dominic Nolan / Cambridge Rowing Team: I think we've been doing pretty well, so we'll do our best in the race and keep pushing to try and beat Oxford.]
With traditional powerhouses like Harvard University and Yale University from the US, alongside newly participating teams such as the University of Sydney from Australia and Semmelweis University from Hungary, thrilling matches are expected as each university fights for its honor, promising more spectacles than ever before.
The teams kicked off full-scale training starting today to prepare for the races taking place this weekend.
(Video by: Lee Jong-ho, UBC)
Park Jae-kwon, UBC
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