Per the Ironman email below. Guess they were having trouble getting Americans to fly 30 hours across 3 connecting flights to complete two races four weeks apart in the middle of mainland China?
Dear IRONMAN Athletes,
First, thank you for being part of the IRONMAN community. Your dedication and commitment are inspiring—you truly represent the pinnacle of accomplishment in endurance sport.
Since IRONMAN became a part of Wanda Sports last November, we have been very excited to bring the unique IRONMAN race experience to China. With the recently added IRONMAN 70.3 events in Hefei and Xiamen, we are now able to showcase two of China's premier event destinations and world-class host cities.
To celebrate these two new races and help introduce the triathlon world to China, we are pleased to announce that these events will together offer a total of 100 slots to the 2017 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, making them the only IRONMAN 70.3 triathlons in the world to provide standard qualification slots for Kona. IRONMAN 70.3 Hefei will offer 50 age group slots and IRONMAN 70.3 Xiamen will offer 40, allocated proportionally as per our global world championship protocol. The remaining 10 slots will be awarded to top performing athletes who complete both races.
IRONMAN 70.3 Hefei takes place in an iconic capital city in the eastern China Anhui Province. Hefei boasts a local culture and history that dates back more than 2,000 years. Well known both at home and abroad as a historic site famous for the Three Kingdoms Period, it is also the hometown of Lord Bao. Located between the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River and beside the Chaohu Lake, the city boasts an impressive collection of botanical gardens, temples, and other historical sites to help make your visit truly memorable.
At IRONMAN 70.3 Xiamen located on the southeast coast of China, athletes will be treated to the picturesque Island Ring Road and coastal avenues on the mainland that reflect the beauty of the seaside city. The city's name means "Garden of the Sea," and it is both a modern port city and a prestigious tourist destination. Here, sea views are backed by impressive cityscapes, offering a unique blend of the natural and urban. This coastal city is simultaneously ancient and modern, traditional and progressive, relaxing and revitalizing.
I would like to invite you to join us in celebrating the inaugural year of these events and to seize the opportunity to race and experience all that this wonderful country has to offer.
Sincerely,
ANDREW MESSICK
President and Chief Executive Officer IRONMAN®
Dear IRONMAN Athletes,
First, thank you for being part of the IRONMAN community. Your dedication and commitment are inspiring—you truly represent the pinnacle of accomplishment in endurance sport.
Since IRONMAN became a part of Wanda Sports last November, we have been very excited to bring the unique IRONMAN race experience to China. With the recently added IRONMAN 70.3 events in Hefei and Xiamen, we are now able to showcase two of China's premier event destinations and world-class host cities.
To celebrate these two new races and help introduce the triathlon world to China, we are pleased to announce that these events will together offer a total of 100 slots to the 2017 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, making them the only IRONMAN 70.3 triathlons in the world to provide standard qualification slots for Kona. IRONMAN 70.3 Hefei will offer 50 age group slots and IRONMAN 70.3 Xiamen will offer 40, allocated proportionally as per our global world championship protocol. The remaining 10 slots will be awarded to top performing athletes who complete both races.
IRONMAN 70.3 Hefei takes place in an iconic capital city in the eastern China Anhui Province. Hefei boasts a local culture and history that dates back more than 2,000 years. Well known both at home and abroad as a historic site famous for the Three Kingdoms Period, it is also the hometown of Lord Bao. Located between the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River and beside the Chaohu Lake, the city boasts an impressive collection of botanical gardens, temples, and other historical sites to help make your visit truly memorable.
At IRONMAN 70.3 Xiamen located on the southeast coast of China, athletes will be treated to the picturesque Island Ring Road and coastal avenues on the mainland that reflect the beauty of the seaside city. The city's name means "Garden of the Sea," and it is both a modern port city and a prestigious tourist destination. Here, sea views are backed by impressive cityscapes, offering a unique blend of the natural and urban. This coastal city is simultaneously ancient and modern, traditional and progressive, relaxing and revitalizing.
I would like to invite you to join us in celebrating the inaugural year of these events and to seize the opportunity to race and experience all that this wonderful country has to offer.
Sincerely,
ANDREW MESSICK
President and Chief Executive Officer IRONMAN®