International swimmers take extreme challenge of crossing Yellow River
The 9th annual China-Qinghai International (Winter) Extreme Challenge of Crossing the Yellow River is being held in Guide County of Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province. A total of 122 swimmers from home and abroad take this competition to challenge themselves with the region’s extreme natural conditions.
The Yellow River originates in Qinghai Province in eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and when it passes Guide County through the Province, it does not freeze and the water is utterly clear. Therefore, the competitors from 17 countries and regions including the US, Russia, Canada, China are competing to take the competition to cross the Yellow River at this time.
The competition site has an altitude of 2200 meters, a crossing length of 500 meters, and a water temperature of about seven degrees Celsius. The rapid waters, high altitude, thin oxygen, and low temperature are four challenges for the competition, which is the first among its kind in international competitions hosted by the International Swimming Federation in open waters.