Challenge Family has revealed a middle-distance start list for the upcoming Challenge Xiamen in China, featuring world champions Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden, and newly confirmed pro athlete Lionel Sanders.
The men’s field is led by PTO World Ranking number three Kristian Blummenfelt, following a 2026 season that includes victories at IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong, IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside, and IRONMAN Texas, alongside runner-up finishes at DATEV Challenge Roth and the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice. He is joined by Norwegian compatriot Gustav Iden, who finished second at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona and IRONMAN Frankfurt earlier this season.
Canadian Lionel Sanders enters the lineup after a injury-disrupted season that included a win at IRONMAN 70.3 Dallas and a third-place finish in Cozumel. The men’s start list also includes defending champion Kieran Storch, New Zealand’s Mike Phillips, Ognjen Stojanovic, Louis Woodgate, Antony Costes, and Thomas Navarro.
In the women’s professional field, defending champion Sara Perez Sala returns to headline the event alongside France’s Justine Guerard. Guerard arrives following podium performances at Challenge Kaiserwinkl-Walchsee and Challenge Forte Village. Additional contenders in the women’s lineup include Australia’s Jasmine Brown and Paige Cranage, and South Africa’s Magda Niewoudt.
The middle-distance event features a 1.9km swim off Meifeng Sports Park, followed by a flat 90km bike leg and a 21.1km run along the Huandong Romantic Coast in Xiamen.
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