He Fei, capital city of Anhui Province, China, has reportedly decided to apply for the rights to host the 2016 Ironman Half Triathlon, according to local reports.

These reports emerged after Zhang Lin and Andrew Messick, Commissioner of Wanda Culture Industry Group and Chief Executive Officer of World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) respectively, paid a visit to the city and met with municipal party secretary Wu Cunrong yesterday.

During their visit, Mr Wu showcased the advantages of Swan Lake with its impressive landscape, a marathon circuit designed around Chaohu Lake and a specialized cycle track, with a view to hosting the triathlon event.

“Hefei and Wanda have achieved remarkable successes in partnership, which has set an example in this country”, said Mr Wu.     “In terms of the development of the sports industry, Hefei has reached a high degree of consensus with Wanda”, Wu added.

“Ironman triathlon is not only a sports show, but an opportunity to boost the development of culture, tourism and the sports industry in the city”, said Zhang Lin. He also has high expectations for the potential sports-related partnership between Wanda and Hefei city, hoping to bring win-win results to both sides.

WTC, acquired by Dalian Wanda Group in August, is the organizer of the Ironman Triathlon events.

Source: HF News

Proofread by John Devlin.