GUIYANG, China, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- On a cloud-shrouded track winding toward the world's highest bridge, a vibrant figure pushed forward with determination.
On Sunday morning, after nearly two hours of intense exertion, 19-year-old Australian triathlete Joshua Pedlow emerged as the first to reach the deck of the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province.
With arms outstretched, Pedlow sprinted at full speed atop the bridge to the cheers of the crowd. Around him were drifted clouds, and beneath his feet lay a soon-to-be-completed Chinese mega-project.
With a design height of 625 meters between the bridge deck and the Beipanjiang River below, the 2,890-meter-long Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge will be the highest bridge in the world when it is completed at the end of this month.
The first World's Highest Bridge Triathlon International Challenge began on and around the bridge on Sunday morning. Nearly 200 athletes from more than 20 countries and regions, including the United States, France, Russia and Pakistan, tested their limits on a 36.75-kilometer course.
The race began with a 750-meter swim in the Beipanjiang River, followed by a 26-kilometer cycling leg along gorge roads with an elevation gain of 798 meters, and culminated in a 10-kilometer run that finished atop the world's highest bridge.
"For me, the hardest part about this race was not being distracted by the amazing view", said Pedlow, adding that he was excited to compete in this event.
The young triathlete, inspired by his father, began competing at nine years old and has already participated in more than a hundred races.
This year, he specifically came to China for professional training. "Australia is flat, so it's hard to find mountains and gorges like these. Here, there's a diverse training environment, and I get to compete with athletes from all over the world," he said.
Several Chinese athletes also reveled in the challenge. Chen Yixuan, 20, from east China's Fujian Province, proved her mettle by finishing first in the women's division.
Since taking up triathlon in 2019, Chen has already made her mark, winning her age group (18-24) at the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France.
After claiming gold in her age group in this competition, Chen called the scenery along the course beautiful, and said the constant uphill sections made it brutally satisfying. "I'd definitely recommend the course to my friends," she said.
For Russia's Nadezhda Kriazheva, who competed alongside her husband, the race brought a different kind of reward despite a less-than-ideal result. "Just experiencing this course and finishing the race have made the journey worthwhile," she said.
Fu Shiqi, from east China's Guangdong Province, finished second in the women's 18-35 age group, after canceling other scheduled races in order to participate.
"The course was unique by requiring athletes to ascend from the gorge to the world's highest bridge. I can't find another course like it in China," said Fu, who brought her father along to admire the views, and expressed her eagerness to return.
As a key part of the Liuzhi to Anlong expressway in Guizhou, construction on the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge began in January 2022, and is set to be completed by the end of September.
The karst mountains of Guizhou Province feature ravines so deep that locals call them "the Earth's cracks."
Nestled among peaks, the bridge was shrouded in mist on race day, offering athletes a breathtaking view and serving as a stunning stage for this sporting spectacle.
"I wore bright race gear so that I could be noticed," Pedlow said, brimming with confidence. ■
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