The World's Most Famous Universities Dragon Boat Competition was held between 22−26 June 2017 in Dali, Shaanxi in China. For the first time one participant was a team from Poland, the PG Smoki Północy Sports Association from Gdańsk, founded in 2011.

In their debut appearance the PG Smoki Północy had spectacular success, winning:

• 3^rd place and bronze medal in the 500 metres
• 4^th place in the 200 metres
• 5^th place in the 2,000 metres.

The only representative of the University of Gdańsk who was appointed member of the Tri-City academic team PG Smoki Północy was mgr Elwira Smolińska, a doctoral student at the Department of Biology and Medical Genetics at the UG’S Faculty of Biology.

The trip was co-financed by the University of Gdańsk’s Vice-Rector for Research and International Cooperation Prof. Dr hab. Piotr Stepnowski.

Photo: Bartłomiej Fijołek, Cezary Pierzchalski, Paweł Zboiński