For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, elite international triathlon will return to mainland China as athletes prepare to race the Asia Cup event in Dexing.
The last international race that took place in the country was a Winter Triathlon Cup in January 2020. In terms of the standard triathlon format, an Asia Cup in Shantou back in in November 2019 was the last time China featured on the international scene.
After hosting the Olympic Games in 2008, Beijing was home to the WTCS Final in 2011. Aside from that foray, though, the sport has not returned to the country at the WTCS level.
It has hosted ten World Cups since 2011, mostly since 2014 in Weihai and Chengdu. Of those two events, Chengdu will be returning to the World Cup schedule later this year.
In the bigger picture, China is one of the most important markets in the global sporting economy. As with industries beyond sport, triathlon could stand to benefit greatly if it could establish a foothold in the Chinese market.
Similarly, the development of the Chinese national team will help, in the long term, to deepen what is already a growing sport.
Dexing will therefore be an important stepping stone in World Triathlon’s rejuvenated attempts to woo a Chinese audience.
Tomorrow, the athletes will be tackling the Olympic distance.
Max Studer will highlight the men’s field. Studer comes into Dexing having achieved his best ever WTCS finish earlier this year when he finished 9th in Abu Dhabi. Having also thrown down a 28:26 10km on the road earlier this year, Dexing will be an ideal opportunity for him to test his legs over the Olympic distance.
He will be joined on the start line by Tokyo Olympian Oscar Coggins of Hong Kong.
On the women’s side, the winner of the Asia Cup in Hong Kong, Xinyu Lin, will be one to watch. She recently produced an impressive performance at the New Plymouth World Cup where she finished 13th. In Dexing, home support could well play in her favour.
After two medals in Latin America earlier this year (a silver in La Guiara and a bronze in La Habana), Xisca Tous is racing.
So too is Ivana Kuriackova. After Kuriackova took on four races in Latin America in six weeks, she now finds herself racing on another continent.
Whereas Studer is an obvious favourite in the men’s race, the battle between Lin, Tous and Kuriackova could be much tighter.
