Neil Tardiff of Avila Beach and Mike Sullivan of San Luis Obispo made the United States dragon boat team which will compete at the 2009 International Dragon Boat Championships in Prague, Czech Republic. The two paddlers earned seats on the United States team by placing first as team members in the 200 meters, 500 meters and 1000 meters races at the United States Dragon Boat Federation team trials held at Marine Stadium in Long Beach from July 25 through July 28. Teams from throughout the United States competed to earn seats on the United States team.

Tardiff and Sullivan also won two gold medals in the 2008 United States Dragon Boat Federal National Dragon Boat Racing Championships by placing first in the Grand Masters division (50 and older) and first in the Masters division (40 and older) held at the same time as the United States team qualifiers.

The two paddlers are members of Avila Beach Pale Kai Outrigger Canoe Club and the San Diego Dragon Boat Team.

For more information about Dragon Boat competition, go to www.usdbf.com [web site of the United States Dragon Boat Federation] or www.cdba.org [web site of the California Dragon Boat Association]

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