After the athletes arrived at the top of Huangshan Mountain, everyone was asking about Zeng Wenbo, who had been the first in the individual category to cross the finish line. Today (6June11),?2016this dark horse defeated the highly favored star Li Pengcheng at the 2016 Country Garden Huangshan Tai Ping Lake Triathlon International Elite Race, becoming the first to appear at the summit finish line on Huangshan, shocking everyone.
“This kind of course is what I’m best at and what I like the most,” Zeng Wenbo, who had been little known in the triathlon world, told everyone under repeated questioning. It turned out that this new face in triathlon was actually a well-known figure in China’s amateur trail running and mountaineering circles. As the overall champion of last year’s Mountaineering Series organized by the China Mountaineering Association, Hunan-native Zeng Wenbo was in his element in mountain races, while cycling and triathlon were more like side ventures for him.
Zeng Wenbo had first tried a standard distance triathlon at a Shanghai event last year, and upon hearing that the Huangshan triathlon included an uphill running section, he immediately signed up. Although he was nearly10minutes behind Li Pengcheng in the swim, he found the cycling climb and running segments very manageable. “Today’s course wasn’t difficult for me, and the scenery along the way was so beautiful — I felt excited and happy while running.”
Among today’s nearly one hundred participants, Qi Jun, wearing a triathlon suit with a Chinese dragon pattern, stood out particularly. However, what made him even more unique was his identity as both a staff member of the Chinese Football Association and a hardcore triathlon enthusiast. “I often take part in113-kilometer events, but this is my first time in China,” Qi Jun said. “The timing of this race was just right — it fell during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday — and it also presented a good challenge, so I decided to come.”
Qi Jun, who has developed a passion for triathlon over the past year or two, has recently started participating in trail races, which is why he was especially excited about a triathlon like Huangshan’s that includes an uphill climb. “This event is really fun — the scenery is absolutely gorgeous.” Due to the rain, many athletes were worried about slipping during the cycling leg, and Qi Jun was cautious as well. “I was being very careful today — it’s all about mindset. For us amateur athletes, participation is the key. We don’t need to worry about results or comparing ourselves to others — just keep a good attitude.”
When he finally reached the finish line at Huangshan’s North Sea area, Qi Jun looked particularly happy. “I’ve been to Huangshan in winter, I’ve been here in sunny weather, and now I’ve raced here in the rain — I’ve seen Huangshan in all different kinds of conditions,” Qi Jun said. “These past few years I’ve taken part in113-kilometer races every year, but coming to Huangshan this time was the most special experience — totally worth it.”
Zhang Jie from Beijing was another standout athlete today. This swimming specialist once set a Guinness World Record for the longest non-stop freshwater swim, covering21hours and74kilometers. Most remarkably, Zhang Jie, who had never participated in a triathlon before, took on the Huangshan113-kilometer race on her very first try. “If you don’t try, how will you know if you can do it?”
Today, Zhang Jie was the second to exit the water in the swim leg, only behind Weihai’s Han Bing, but cycling is her weaker discipline. “I only started preparing for this race a little over a month ago, and I’d only ridden a bike once for50kilometers before,” she said. “So I was quite worried about today’s cycling leg. Yesterday I even took off my clipless pedals and switched to flat pedals just to avoid falling.”
Surprisingly, after more than7hours of racing, Zhang Jie pushed hard and reached the finish line, winning the women’s championship. “I was completely exhausted today. I rode in my swimsuit, and by the60-kilometer mark on the bike, I was so cold I could barely continue. Fortunately, someone gave me an energy gel, and I managed to get through the transition. The run up the mountain was tough too — the switchbacks weren’t too bad, but the stairs at the end nearly broke me. I kept motivating myself and finally made it.” Though tired, Zhang Jie was also thrilled as she crossed the finish line. “I’ll have to train harder before competing again,” she said.
Today’s race was not only full of challenges but also full of family bonds. Wan Liuyang from the Singapore Lion City Triathlon Club was one of the happiest athletes — his parents had driven all the way from Wuhan to accompany him to Huangshan. On race day, his parents stayed with him the whole way, and in the end, Wan’s mother crossed the finish line hand-in-hand with her son. “This is our first time watching our son compete. He’s raced in Malaysia, Singapore, and the U.S. before, but we never had the chance to be there. Actually, not seeing him race used to make us less worried. But this time, being here for the first time, our hearts were in our throats — especially with the rain and slippery roads, we were really concerned.” Wan’s mother expressed deep care for her son. “Our child loves this sport. We didn’t really understand it before, but now that we see how he’s organized his own club in Singapore with100members and influenced so many people, we’ve gradually come to understand. I told his dad, since we can’t change his passion, let’s change our perspective and support him.”
Zeng Lei from the Luneng Triathlon Club also crossed the finish line with his wife — but in a unique way, as he carried her across. “When I saw the finish line up ahead, I kept thinking about how I wanted to celebrate the moment.” Zeng Lei, who was taking on a113-kilometer race for the first time, clearly felt the difficulty of the course. “This course was pretty tough, but finishing it made me really happy, so I celebrated with my family.” Zeng Lei and his wife share a very happy and loving relationship. Whenever he competes, his wife Zheng Yuhua is always by his side. A former volleyball player, Zheng Yuhua said, “Cycling can be dangerous, and I worry a bit, so I usually accompany him. He’s gotten used to it — he won’t race if I’m not there.”