On the Jinhui River, with light dancing across the rippling water, the 2026 China International Women's Rowing Elite Race got under way on the morning of May 16. Built around the central theme of "Her Power," the event sent oars slicing through the waves, raising a "pink tide" where speed and strength, competition and beauty all converged.

This year's race brought together 41 teams and 235 athletes, including 5 international squads alongside domestic professionals and national team stars. Competitors were divided into three divisions — Elite, University, and Club — a structure that rewarded high-level competition while encouraging broad public participation.

At the crack of the starting gun, the boats shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, oar blades cutting the surface in perfect unison and throwing up strings of glittering spray. With every stroke, the athletes fused power and rhythm seamlessly, displaying remarkable coordination and explosive force. Crowds packed both banks to catch a glimpse, their cheers and shouts of encouragement rising one after another.

On this shimmering course, women's rowing showed the balance between strength and grace: the contest was less about beating an opponent than about surpassing oneself. The race also welcomed a special guest, Olympic diving champion Wu Minxia. As a landmark female figure in the history of Chinese sport, her presence not only added star power to the event but gave the theme of "Her Power" a vivid, living footnote.

"A great event is one that carries the spirit of sport to more people and lets everyone take part," Wu said. "Athletes show a different kind of beauty in every discipline. Women have a beauty of suppleness, a beauty of connection. It's a different expression of beauty."