The 2020 Winter Triathlon World Cup Championship was successfully held in Sun Island in Harbin, capital city of China’s northernmost Heilongjiang province on Jan 4, according to the organizers.

They said Harbin was the first city in China to hold an event of this kind.

The winter triathlon involved a run, as well as mountain bike and cross-country ski (langlauf) events – all on the snow. Competitions were divided into 12 groups.

Course distances involving a 7.22 kilometer run, a 12 km mountain bike and 10.6 km course for cross-country skiing. The total distance covered by the competitors was 29.82 km, which was designed for winners to finish in 80-90 minutes.

The organizers said that new challenges were presented at each race and thrilling opportunities were there for those seeking to explore new multisport horizons.

The competition tracks took participants around the Sun Island scenic spot – the main site of the ice and snow festival -- and onto the frozen Songhua River, allowing participants to enjoy Harbin’s unique winter landscape, as well as the ice and snow sculptures currently on display there.

Competition organizers said that this year’s Harbin event  attracted the participation of more than 300 athletes from more than 20 countries and regions -- including Russia, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, Japan and Iran. It included Pavel Yakimov, currently ranked number one in the winter triathlon.

The championship was jointly sponsored by the China Triathlon Sports Association, Heilongjiang Provincial Sports Bureau and the Harbin municipal government. It aimed to promote Harbin as a winter sports city and a must-visit winter tourism destination.