The highly anticipated Country Garden "2016's Huangshan Taiping Lake Triathlon International Elite Race and National Triathlon Points Race commenced today (6month10day) in Huangshan City. On the first day, athletes taking part in the national triathlon points race competed over the Olympic-standard distance. While striving for top results, triathlon elites from across the nation also enjoyed the stunning scenery of the Huangshan Taiping Lake area.
The competition will be held over two days.6On month10day, the Country Garden ·2016Huangshan Taiping Lake National Triathlon Points Race will take place, consisting of a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike ride, and 10 km run, covering a total distance of 51.5 km;1.5km, cycling40km, running10km, total distance51.5km;6On month11day, the Country Garden ·2016Huangshan Taiping Lake Triathlon International Elite Race will be held, with a full distance of 113 km — including a 1.5 km swim, 90 km bike ride, and 21.5 km run. According to statistics, nearly113km, including swimming1.9km, cycling90km, running21.1km. According to statistics, nearly600athletes have registered to participate in the two-day event. The national points race is jointly organized by the Chinese Triathlon Association, the Anhui Provincial Sports Bureau, and the Huangshan Municipal People's Government. The international elite race is organized by the Anhui Provincial Sports Bureau and the Huangshan Municipal People's Government. Both events are hosted by the Huangshan Scenic Area Management Committee, the Huangshan District People's Government, the Huangshan Municipal Sports Bureau, the Taiping Lake Scenic Area Management Committee, and the Huangshan Extreme Culture & Sports Communication Co., Ltd., with Country Garden as the exclusive title sponsor. Country Garden has become the first leading Chinese enterprise to support high-level domestic triathlon events, using the spirit of triathlon, craftsmanship, and solid actions to contribute to the nation’s sports power dream.
This morning (6month10day) at8:30, the opening ceremony was held at the Crowne Plaza Huangshan Taiping Lake. Attendees included Wang Jianguo, Director of the Triathlon Department at the Cycling and Fencing Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and Secretary-General of the Chinese Triathlon Association; Liu Xiaohui, Deputy Inspector of the Anhui Provincial Sports Bureau; Bao Zhengqing, Deputy Director of the Anhui Meteorological Bureau; Ye Changyin, Vice Chairman of the Huangshan Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee; Zhu Jianmin, Vice President and Spokesperson of Country Garden Group; Liu Yong, Deputy Secretary-General of the Huangshan Municipal People's Government; Zhu [surname unclear], Director of the Huangshan Meteorological Bureau; Xie [surname unclear], Director of the Huangshan Sports Bureau; and Xie [surname unclear], Director of the Taiping Lake Scenic Area Management Committee, among other leaders who attended the ceremony.
At exactly 9:00 a.m., top triathletes from across the country dove into the cool, clear waters of Taiping Lake from the triathlon-dedicated water platform at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, commencing the battle for the national points race. After1hours57minutes24seconds of competition, Zhang Jiahao from Taiwan was the first to finish1.5kilometers of swimming,40kilometers of cycling, and10kilometers of running, crossing the finish line first to win the men's elite group championship at this National Triathlon Points Race. Pete from the Shanghai Triathlon Sports Club and Jiang Qinghai from the Longgang Town Triathlon Branch took second and third place respectively. The race also determined the rankings for the full-distance age groups and various categories in the triathlon relay events.
Early tomorrow morning, the second day of the competition—and the most exciting event—will take place: the International Elite Race. This race is highly distinctive, featuring for the first time in a domestic triathlon an off-road mountain running section, and also boasting the largest elevation change of any triathlon event in China. Additionally, the cycling segment circles Taihu Lake, offering picturesque scenery along the way, with a cumulative climb of approximately800meters; while the running segment includes uphill sections within the Huangshan scenic area, with a total elevation gain of around2000meters. The timing finish line is set at the North Sea Scenic Area, and the official race finish is at Bright Summit, one of Huangshan’s three main peaks, ensuring athletes not only have their performance recorded but also enjoy the most stunning racing experience. Many participants who competed in today’s points race, still eager for more, have signed up for tomorrow’s relay events to take in the beauty of Huangshan. Together with individual competitors, they will push their limits within the10-hour cutoff time, fully embracing the exhilarating thrill of “infinite beauty lies in perilous heights.”