KATHMANDU, May 20: Nepal finished sixth in the downriver event during the 18th World Rafting Championship held on the Tully River in Queensland in Australia on Sunday. Nepal started the day outside the top ten and managed to finish sixth on the last day of the event. 

Nepal had started the race 13th on the leader-board segregated in the group of last eight after previous day’s finish. Nepal took 46 minutes 48.30 seconds to complete the race in the first position (overall sixth) in the group.

New Zealand won the downriver event with 44 minutes 58.41 seconds followed by Russia in the second place with 45 minutes 33.27 seconds and Brazil in the third with 46 minutes 24.97 seconds. Similarly, Czech Republic and Japan were the other two teams which finished ahead of Nepal in the world championship event.

This is Nepal’s best performance ever in the rafting event finishing 10th overall aggregating the points of all four disciplines. Brazil won the championship after collecting most points in the aggregate of men’s open, sprint, slalom, head to head and downriver.

This is the first time that a global rafting event is being held in Australia. Total 51 teams from 18 nations participated in four different age-levels and five categories of the event. In a very recent change to the race rules, slalom and downriver are now worth equal points (previously they carried 30% and 40% weightage respectively). 

Teams this year are also vying for the big ticket winner for top teams. Only the top teams will receive all-expenses paid invites to the IRF Invitational Futaleufu World Cup in Chile, in March next year.

Every year, the IRF organizes the World Rafting Championship (WRC), a top tier competition between the most recognized and celebrated rafting athletes in the world who gather together to represent their respective nations.

 
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