November is the time of year when morning exercisers skip the stretches in favour of longer lie-ins cuddling their hot water bottles. But not triathletes.
November 9 marks the second year the Hainan Discovery Triathlon will take place at Yalong Bay, Sanya. Many athletes consider this the best triathlon venue in Asia, with its white sand beaches and crystal clear waters. Two hundred and fifty competitors are expected this year, including last year's champion Simon Lessing.
"I was amazed at the quality of last year's race in Sanya," said Lessing, a five time World Champion. "I was touched by the thousands of cheering people along the course shouting 'jia you (come on)' and impressed with Sanya as a world-class triathlon venue. I look forward to defending my title against so many triathlon champions and China's top stars this year." Joining Lessing are Canadian champions Peter Reid and Lori Bowden, as well as two German superstars, Lothar and Nicole Leder. Last year's event attracted more than 100 athletes from 19 countries.
After becoming the newest Olympic sport, along with taekwondo, at the Sydney 2000 Games, the China Triathlon Sports Association (CTSA) created the Hainan competition to help Chinese athletes gear up for the 2008 Games. Other competitions have been held in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Hangzhou.
One of the characteristics of this event is to allow world-class champions to compete side by side with non-professional athletes. "We are proud to see the rapid growth of this world-class event in China," said Qi Jun, deputy director of CTSA. "Many triathletes from all over the world have said that this is the best event of its kind in Asia. Triathlon is also an Olympic sport, we see every opportunity for Chinese triathletes to compete with world class triathletes as a prelude to the Beijing 2008 Olympics."