Ji Bowen wins gold in the men's 500m single canoe final at the 2026 ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup in Montreal, Canada. [Photo/WeChat account: anjilvwei]

Chinese paddler Ji Bowen, a native of Huzhou, Zhejiang province, won gold in the men's 500m single canoe final at the 2026 ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup in Montreal, Canada, on July 12.

Competing against athletes from countries such as Moldova and Greece, Ji trailed in the first half of the race before accelerating and overtaking his rivals. He crossed the finish line first with a time of 1 min and 50.61 sec to secure a gold medal for China.

Ji also delivered strong performances earlier this year. At the 2026 ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup in Szeged, Hungary, in May, he won gold in the men's 500m single canoe event with a time of 1:44.43 and claimed silver in the men's 500m four-person canoe event with his teammates.