Courtesy of the Chian Triathlon Sports Association

The 2023 China Triathlon League Finals and the Urban Family Triathlon took place in Dameisha, Yantian District, which saw 1,053 triathletes from 17 countries and regions compete within Yantian’s enchanting sea and mountain scenery.

After two and a half hours of fierce competition, Benjamin David Deady of the Wuxi Triathlon Association won the overall championship in the men’s full-distance age group with a time of 2:01:34, as well as the championship in the men’s full-distance 35-39 age group. Lin Chengdan, also from Wuxi, won second overall and second in the men’s full-distance 35-39 age group with a time of 2:06:56 thanks to his outstanding performance in the cycling segment. Hu Chenhao of the Taiyuan Crazy Triathlon Association, in the 20-24 age group, performed well in the running stage and came from behind to finish third overall in the men’s full-distance age group and first in the men’s full-distance 20-24 age group with a time of 02:07:55, ending his season on a high note.

“This is my first time in Yantian, and I found it very comfortable here with forests on one side and the sea on the other. It is a great place to compete,” said Benjamin David Deady, a British athlete who has been living in China for 13 years and speaks fluent Chinese.

The athletes also performed well in the women’s full-distance age group competition. In the end, Xu Lin of the Shanghai Happy Triathlon Club won the women’s full-distance age group championship with a time of 2:22:12. Xu Ying of the Jilin University Triathlon Club won the second overall in the women’s full-distance age group with a time of 2:24:07. Ji Siming of the Beijing Longyuan Triathlon Club finished third overall in the women’s full-distance age group with a time of 2:30:53.

In the half-distance age group, after fierce competition, the top three in the men’s half-distance age group were Wang Shijiang of the Shanghai Happy Triathlon Club, Ma Pengkun of the Wenzhou Triathlon Association, and Sun Wencheng, with times of 1:05:52, 1:07:37, and 1:08:44. The top three in the women’s half-distance age group were Li Haiying of the Shanghai Happy Triathlon Club, Li Yiwen of the Beijing Longyuan Triathlon Club, and Du Lulu of the Wuxi Triathlon Association, with times of 1:17:28, 1:21:00, and 1:21:21.

It is reported that the competition was the 2023 season finale of the China Triathlon League, with events for the full-distance age group, half-distance age group, experience group, super short-distance group, and family relay group. Of these, the full-distance age group is the Olympic standard competition distance of 51.5 kilometers, the half-distance age group is 25.75 kilometers, and the remaining categories are about 9 kilometers.

According to the organizers, it was the first time for the competition to be held in Shenzhen. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Li Zhong, Party chief of the CPC Yantian District Committee, said, “I hope that through this event, more and more people will come to, know more about and fall in love with Yantian,” adding that in recent years, Yantian has been vigorously cultivating a competition system with a focus on coastal and outdoor sports in line with Shenzhen’s goal of becoming an internationally renowned sports city. It has hosted major events such as the Water Ski World Cup and the Yantian Mountain and Sea Half Marathon. (Yang Mei)